Willie Kimani: Court Finds 3 Cops, 1 Informant Guilty of Murder

By Kevin Koech

Posted on 22 July 2022

Three police officers have been found guilty of killing lawyer Willie Kimani, his client Josephat Mwendwa and taxi driver, Joseph Muiruri.

In a ruling on Friday, July 22, Justice Jessie Lessit ruled that the prosecution had proven that the three had conspired to murder their victims.

The three; Fredrick Leliman, Stephen Cheburet and Sylvia Wanjiku were found guilty of the charges while Leonard Mwangi was set free.

Mwangi was set free after the prosecution failed to link him to the murder.

Justice Lessit noted that Wanjiku, was at the Syokimau Police Post where the victims were held in the cells from 9 am to past 7 pm.

“The burden shifted to the 3rd accused to explain how the deceased were held at the post while she was on duty without entry to the OB, how they were placed in the cells and later removed while she had custody of the keys to the cells. Instead of explaining these facts she decided to deny and mislead,” noted Lessit.

Justice Jessie Lessit has found three police officers (Sergeant Frederick Leliman, Stephen Cheburet and Sylvia Njoki) as well as police informer Peter Ngugi guilty of murdering lawyer Willie Kimani, Joseph and Josephat on June 23, 2016. She acquitted Leonard Mwangi.#JusticeNow pic.twitter.com/iHxPIvKMkK

— IJM Kenya (@IJMKenya) July 22, 2022

On the other hand, the judged added that Cheburet and Ngugi were responsible for kidnapping the victims, concealing their missing vehicle, ferrying them to their murder scene and detaining them without their disclosure.

“The 5th accused in his statement said in his confession that state that when they drove the deceased to Soweto open the co-conspirators argued for 3 hours whether to kill the deceased or not before they finally took their lives

“The fact that they argued does not reduce their action to anything less than murder,” said Justice Lessit.

A police informer identified as Peter Ngugi was also found guilty after helping the three execute the murder plan.

Justice Lessit directed that the four be held until their sentencing on September 28.

In April 2015, the victims were abducted after leaving Mavoko Law Courts where Mwenda had filed a case against a police officer.

The three were bundled into a vehicle and taken to Syokimau Police Post where they were locked up and later driven to a location where they were brutally murdered.

Their bodies were found one week later stashed in gunny bags and thrown into a river near Donyo Sabuk.