THE ASSASSINATION OF TWO LEADING CIVIL RIGHTS DEFENDERS
Yesterday evening, two leading human rights defenders, Mr.Kamau King’ara and Mr. John Paul Oulu (also known as GPO), both of Oscar Foundation, were executed in cold blood by a group of men in two vehicles. The two were driving to meet Mr. Kamanda Mucheke of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights at his office. Eyewitnesses have said that the assassins were policemen. In fact, the minibus driver was in police uniform.
An eyewitness at the scene was also shot in the leg and was later taken away from the scene by policemen. We are calling upon the police to reveal the whereabouts of this man since he might be the only one who can positively identify both the assassins and their vehicles. Therefore, we fear for his life.
Oscar was a trained lawyer and a human rights advocate who was the Chief Executive Officer of Oscar Foundation. He was a member of the Law Society of Kenya.
Continue reading HERE
Statement by Kenya National Commission for Human Rights and other CSOs:
"We believe they were killed because of the sensitive information they had shared with both the Prof. Philip Alston the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights, and with the MPs." Continue reading HERE
Standard Newspaper: NGO bosses shot dead amid Mungiki sect Mayhem
11 comments:
The shooting I witnessed myself that i have never seen before,the sentiments of the gorvernment spokesman came to reality. It is sad that we might go back where we were 10 years.The shooting of the activists in the name of mungiki poses many questions.Kenyans are watching as policemen are taking innocent souls. R.I.P
I was there in person to witness our activist shot to dead . It was a shocking scenario that will never be erased from my mind.Six bullets in a somebody's head ,reason ...he is a threat to the police extrajudicial findings ,as a witness .Which Kenya do we stay if this happens in public ,after the government spokesman publicly announces that the oscar foundation are funding mungiki and an action will be taken to shun it down and indeed it was taken-a harsh one . Does it mean our activist have no say or we leave this country to the politicians and the police to rule us ,no that will be suicidal . Let us not tire from fighting for our rights.
Meanwhile, the vehicle of the activist was pushed to the university compound after a battle of hot suit between the students and police. The body of the activist was hidden in hall two for a half an hour after students decided to take it to Chiromo mortuary. The policemen intervened and retrived the body ,this is where another student was shot.
Otherwise we hope things will change let this end the impunity.
I WAS A WITNESS AND THE TWO FELLOWS WERE SHOT BY NON OTHER THAN MUNGIKI RIVAL GROUPS KEEN ON ERADICATING THE WING OF MUNGIKI ASSOCIATED WITH THAT GROUP.
THEY KNEW EVERYONE WILL WITLESSLY ASSOCIATE IT WITH POLICE AND THEREFORE THEY WOULD GET AWAY WITH IT. AM SUPRISED THAT MORONS ARE FALLING FOR THAT PLOY SO STUPIDLY.
These fellows were cruising in a mercedes benz bought from funds solicited in the name of fighting for Mungiki. Mungiki demanded a share of this money when the money started trickling in and these leaders said no..i heard that they said they are fighting for their rights. They received a couple of warnings which they ignored. These fellows died after taking dirty money and refusing to share it with the owners. They are not the last ones i suspect from the long list of other NGO's bent on exploiting the poor. You can blame the police since its in Kenyans to blame the government but the truth is that Mungiki diminished the two lights. Thats the truth!!
MY TRIBUTE TO GEORGE PAUL OWEN OULU (a.k.a.OULU GPO)
It must have been around January of 2003 when I first met George Paul Owen Oulu (shortly referred to as Oulu GPO,) He was a first year then at the university of Nairobi kikuyu campus. He was a very jovial guy, free and confident unlike other freshers who always looked intimidated by the new university environment. I was in the first semester of my third year. We had declared that we needed revival of the student organization of Nairobi University {SONU} after it having been disbanded in 2000.so it was a great risk we had taken to be on the frontline agitating for this. For a first year it was so courageous of him and I once noted it and told him I couldn’t believe he was a fresher given his guts in addressing people who had by then spent more years at the university. I know all agitators of change are scared now (I included) but in spite of my mourning I believe as a writer I got a lot to write about my brother and comrade GPO.
When elections were later called on 7th march 2003, GPO emerged the winner as the campus representative for kikuyu campus whereas I was elected the vice chairman (academic affairs) thanks to him having helped me campaign in vote rich kikuyu campus. Therefore we became members of the SONU executive together with the following elected
Chairman Tedd Munovi,
Vice Chairman Academic Affairs-Fwamba NC Fwamba
Vice Chairman Administration-Koome Wa Mburugu
Secretary General-Makokha Wanjala
Organizing Secretary-Mwengi Mutuse
Treasurer-Tabitha Wainaina
Secretary Legal Affairs-Cornelius Lupao
Secretary Health-Dr.Onkoba Marube (Now Deceased)
Secretary for Sports/Entertainment-Juma Jombi
Secretary Gender Affairs –Purity Mukami
Campus Representative College Of Architecture and Engineering-Opata Kopata
Campus Representative College Of Humanities and Social Sciences (Main Campus)-Ngaruiya John Kamau (Later Elected Sonu Chairman)
College of Education and External Studies-(The late) Oulu GPO (Was Later Elected Sonu Vice Chairman)
Lower Kabete Campus-James Oluoch
Medical School Campus (College Of Health Sciences)-Dr.Brian Lishenga
Parklands Campus (Law School)-Gitau Gitonga
Upper Kabete Campus-Nelson Indimuli
Chiromo Campus-Nemwel Machuki (Was Later Elected Sonu Vice Chairman, Then Chairman)
That constituted the SONU executive (like SONU cabinet)
During that tenure we worked well with GPO since just like me he was a man who believed in transparency and was on the frontline in fighting corruption among student leaders and the university administration. The congress (student parliament) elected me the chairman of Public accounts committee. In that docket I got a lot of strength from GPO because he always stood by what was right. I even know today that if GPO was in Kenyan parliament, he would be amongst the 22 MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT.
In subsequent SONU elections I remember GPO as the most popular candidate, who used minimal resources but emerged as the winner in his docket and one with the highest margin of victory than any other member of the executive I remember as David Okindo used to joke about it all the time that when we went to campaign in Kikuyu campus, students could sing and shout GPO, GPO, GPO CONTINUOSLY without tiring regardless of who was talking. Any candidate could chant comrades’ power!!!The crowd answered GPO.Kikuyu campus was a GPO zone. it was beyond any doubt that GPO was VERY POPULAR THERE.I remember one of the last campaigns when I delayed to arrive, for the Kamukunji, Ken Orengo, Brian Lishenga, Kingwa Kamencu and Ngaruiya KJ(who were vying against me for the position of chairman)GPO himself had talked.GPO had kept the crowd waiting for me with David Okindo on the podium. When I arrived I could only see crowds singing GPO, GPO, GPO, .it was one of my most fantastic days of my campaign. We all knew that we all had supporters there but GPO had followers.
We later developed a good liking for the American rhetoric which were produced by Wafula Buke then and I distributed them at a commission from Buke.the most interesting part was the message to the grassroots where Malcolm X mocks ‘the big six’ about ‘THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON’ when Malcolm X says ‘then old tom said ‘boss I cant stop it because I never started it’ that is obviously what we would have joked about if we met on that evening of 5th march 2009 when GPO was assassinated in cold blood with the founder the Oscar Foundation.
GPO stood for the down trodden all his life especially during the time I have known him. I remember him being suspended from the university for three years for complaining against arbitrary fees increments without the university authorities caring about the peasantry background of the majority of bright university students who are usually admitted through the Joint Admissions Board.
GPO was a real comrade. He was one person you could always count on at the hour of need. As I write this I find it difficult to control my tears.
At some point together with Ken Orengo, Nemwel Machuki, GPO, Kingwa Kamencu and I helped sensitize university of Nairobi students after they had a student election rigged in favour of puppets as leaders of the union. This is when I met Isaac Otidi Amuke, one of GPO’s greatest friends too, mamluki, sissey Marvin and Susan Chege.
In recent past I remember him being one of the first people who came to central police station immediately word went around that Philo Ikonya, Patrick Kamotho and I had been arrested and beaten by the brutal police.
The following morning of 19th Feb. 2009, GPO called me and said ‘boss, its good you are fighting corruption, you just made my spirit stronger when I was just about to give up’ and I told him ‘boss we need to be patriotic enough and cause real change corruption is a serious disease in this country’.
Before the maize demonstration I asked GPO if he was going to commemorate the 44th anniversary of Malcolm Xs assassination on 21st Feb. he said the idea was great since to him just like me, Malcolm X was a great symbol of struggle for freedom justice and equality. But the whole issue was changed because on that week I got arrested demonstrating against corruption and food insecurity in the country.
I Met GPO on 22nd and he joked about our demonstration saying we would have mobilized more people. I laughed and told him what was important was the message, not necessarily big crowds. I was with Philo whom I reminded that it’s GPO who had introduced me to her back in 2007 at the Norfolk hotel during one of the civil society functions organized by the youth agenda whose CEO was Kepta Ombati then. Other prominent youth leaders had been around too like Cyprian Nyamwamu, Ndolo Asasa, Kingwa Kamencu and others.
On the tragic day while sitting with Ken Orengo, Martin Nkari and jimmy Nyikuli, Patrick Kokonya and Jeremy Oloo, I thought of talking to GPO, I called him and said’ boss, why don’t we meet, I would like us to meet’. He told me that he was on ngong road and he was going to call me immediately he got to town. So I waited for his call. At around 5pm, I called again and he told me he was on the way. When it got late I decided to call Kamotho so that we could have coffee together. We thought of going home then while on the way along Koinange street I got a call from Kelly musyoka.So I left Orengo,Martin and jimmy then together with Kamotho we joined gaceke,odipo and Kelly whom we had been with earlier.gaceke received a phone call from George Nyongesa who informed that some people had been shot at the university. as I moved out of kikwetu I got a call from philo Ikonya who asked me if I had heard anything about GPO,I told her I had just talked to him wanted for him but I was going home because he hadn’t shown up. I assumed he got busy with something else.Philo told me Kingwa had told her GPO might have been harmed, that he might have been shot. I called Kingwa right away who told me GPO had been shot. But she didn’t sound so certain. I got worried and asked George Nyongesa who told me he was at the scene at the university and GPO had BEEN shot…DEAD!!!I broke down in town, Kamotho tried to calm me down. I was with Kamotho all that time. March 5TH 2009 was one of the worst days in my life since I was born.
, The ever happy GPO, The man full of jokes, the man full of wisdom is gone, gone.
Rest in Peace GPO, You are my man…
RIP GPO God will surely make a way where there seems to be no way. I still remember what you told me.As for those who took your life on earth,i would like to let them know that you are not gone,they should open their eyes wide enough and look keenly into the future, if they do not see you, THEY ARE BLIND!
I couldnt believe my comrade and look-alike G.P.O had been shot dead.After listening to news at 6pm where it was mentioned that Oscar foundation was suspected to be working with Mungiki,I immediately called him to find out.He told me to ignore the Government spokesman because all he does is spew out nonsense.He told me not to pay attention to such assassins.I could not believe later when K.K called me to say G.P.O had been assassinated by the very people he had mentioned.
To my fallen friend "YOU ARE STILL MY HERO'the biggest Reward I'LL GIVE in exchange for the sacrifice you made for KENYA,is to name my First Born child 'G.P.O' COZ I cant let that NAME go to the 'Grave'.By the way if at all Mutua will not assassinate me as well
R.I.P My Brother,we shall all miss you
I think level of Hypocrisy in our country is just too much. People like Raila and associated NGOS should just shut up. What do you mean? Kenyans have been killed, terrorized and raped by Mungiki - people cried but none of these groups complained. Now the police are dealing with them and some people come in and start talking about extra judicial killings? This is pathetic.
Our police force is not perfect, but we can only dispirit them at our own peril; after all, mungiki does not steal from police officers. However,
I would rather be harassed by the police than by the Mungiki.
Our police force is not perfect, but we can only dispirit them at our own peril; after all, mungiki does not steal from police officers.
I agree with you. Their seems to be a conspiracy among the minority. the only problem is that the majority never speak out. I thought i was alone until i brought up this topic in Facebook. People fully supported the police.
I really wanted to read this blog after i saw the owner on citizen tv. when i read the comments here, i just thought - okay another ngorisized argument. But i really appreciate the last two comments.
Did anyone see how the "police harassed" members of the mount Elgon community reacted to Human Rights activists who had gone there to collect evidence on "extrajudicial killing?" The very people whom the NGOs had told us had been killed, turned against them and beat them up. It was the police who rescued the Human Rights Activists through "excessive force" from the hands of the "innocent wananchi".
Give me a break.
Sorry for the NGO English.
How on earth can u support the killings of the two activists saying they were mungikis? Even if they were mungikis, which law states that mungikis should be mudered in cold blood in their cars?OMG! Just give us a break!Its God who gives and He should be the only one who takes away any life! Why do you have to do God's duty by taking away a life? Are u His assistant or what? Yes, you may have taken Oscar and GPO but watch out coz God's wrath can be compared to no other! If you support someone's killing then u are a murderer as well!
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