Category: EJE Campaign

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EJE Campaign Police Brutality Social Justice Centres

Thank you to all who donated to Yasin Moyo’s Family + Vigil today (April 2 @ 4pm)

Thank you all who responded to our call for counselors for and donations to Yasin Moyo’s family — the 13 year old who was shot and killed by the police during the COVID-19 motivated curfew on March 30. It has been so painful for the family, and we are grateful to you all from all walks of life who donated what they could. We managed to get counselors who will support the whole family, and we received 21, 492 in cash from people of all walks of life. Special thanks to Thomas Andrew (who donated 10,000 KES) and Matilda Stevens (who donated 4900 kes).

Yesterday, we were in solidarity with Kiamaiko Community Justice Centre (KCJC) who held a press conference together with Yasin’s Family. The two pictures below document, first, Yasin’s father, and then Mama Rahma (who is also of MSJC and was collecting the monies on our behalf) and Kimani from KCJC.

 

Today there will be a vigil for Yasin Moyo at 4 pm in Kiamaiko, and all are welcome to stand in solidarity with the family and remember Yasin. It will also be a moment to come together and demand for justice.

We hope you can make it, and sincerely grateful for those who have contributed whatever they could to his family, as well as the counselors who have volunteered to stand with and counsel the family at this time.

Justice for Yasin!

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EJE Campaign Mothers of Victims & Survivors Network

Urgent Alert: Profiling of MSJC activist, Mso, by vigilante “Nairobi Crime Free” Facebook group

Activists have long been profiled by supposed “citizen” Facebook groups like “Hessy wa Dandora,” “Nairobi Crime Free” and others. These are vigilante groups tied to the police force that post photos of the activists and threaten them, warning them against doing the community work they are doing, which is interpreted as defending “thugs” and other such narratives.  We have reported these threats before, but they continue. And the Facebook groups continue to exist. Today they posted the photo of MSJC member Mso, whose first and second husband were both killed by the police. We ask for solidarity at this moment, and that comrades continue to report these groups that are putting activists at risk, and offer support to those who are being profiled. Nothing will stop our work for justice and dignity for our communities.

 

 

 

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EJE Campaign Mothers of Victims & Survivors Network Women in Social Justice Centres

Mothers of Victims & Survivors Network Launch, February 15 2020

 

The Mothers of Victims & Survivors Network will be launched on February 15, 2020. This is a network composed, primarily, of mothers and wives of victims of extrajudicial killings. They have been doing a lot of work over the past two years: supporting each other through court cases, documenting new victims, and strategizing together. This launch is a celebration of the work they have been doing and will continue to do so to make sure they can get justice for the many families whose members have been killed by the police. Come and support them at Mathare Social Justice Centre, on February 15 2020, between 10 am – 1 pm. Your solidarity will be much appreciated.

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EJE Campaign Papo Reto/Kenya & Brazil Solidarity

“Nossos Mortos Tem Voz” (Keeping Our Loved Ones Alive) screening at MSJC on June 22 @ 2 pm

On June 22 @ 2pm MSJC will screen “Nossos Mortos Tem Voz” (Keeping Our Loved Ones Alive), a film based on the testimonies of mothers and families of victims of police killings in Rio. This film will allow us to create parallels between the police violence in Baixada Fluminense in Rio and Brazil as a whole, with what we live through in Kenya. It is part of the growing solidarity we are working to have with Brazilian activists and movements. Welcome All!

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Court Solidarity EJE Campaign

Court Solidarity Requested for Nura Malicha Case on Friday, June 7 2019

Nura Malicha was a 17-year-old killed on 21 February 2015 in Kiamaiko market by the police. He was working in the goat slaughterhouses that day, and, as reported, “was going about his usual business when he heard a lorry being driven into the market. Thinking it could be the normal lorry that comes to bring goats, he rushed to the front entrance to the market to meet it. The lorry belonged to the police who immediately arrested him. None of the witnesses heard what was discussed between Nura and the police; they just watched in shock as Nura went on his knees and was shot dead. Witnesses at the market say that Nura was unarmed and had surrendered but the police still shot him anyway.”

Nura’s case is one of the first cases MSJC documented and took to IPOA. The case was finally referred to court in 2018, and we were lucky to get a lawyer from Amnesty. It is now at the hearing stage and the next court date is Friday June 7 at Mlimani Courts at 9 am.

We are appealing for court solidarity in order to give support to this case and to the family of Nura Malicha. This is one step towards ending police impunity and getting dignity and justice for victims and their families.

 

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EJE Campaign Social Justice Centres Working Group

More Threats to Social Justice Centre Activists from Online Police Vigilante Groups

We did all we could to protect Kelvin Gitau, and we thought we had succeeded after we managed to get him released after he was detained and driven in a police probox boot for the whole night. Two months later Rashid, the most infamous killer police officer, made good on his promise to kill Kelvin Gitau. He was killed on April 16 in Mlango Kubwa. Four other youth were also killed that day. After we spoke about this, we are now getting threats on Facebook from online police groups. We have reported these pages to Facebook, but they continue. Will Hessy, Nairobi Crime Free and other online police vigilante group continue threatening activists for fighting against killer cops? We do not want to bury any more youth!

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EJE Campaign Social Justice Centres Working Group

Saba Saba 2018: Social Justice Centres Working Group Documentary

 

Saba Saba Day 2018 was a big day for all of us at the Social Justice Centres Working Group. We came together, on this historical day, to demand an end to the killings of residents in the poor communities of Nairobi. Too many had been lost, and over 500 protestors came together to walk to Kamukunji grounds to demand justice and dignity for all. The above short documentary speaks to these events, and we thank, especially, Colas Lemaire and Amnesty International for their support in making this video possible.

The Social Justice Centres Working Group continues to fight for the right to life, dignity, respect and justice for all.

 

 

 

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EJE Campaign Social Justice Centres Working Group

Remembering Carol “Mtetezi” Mwatha

Our sister, friend and mtetezi Carol Mwatha died in early February in very tragic circumstances. Over a hundred human rights defenders went to bury her in Siaya on February 23 2019.

We still mourn her absence but celebrate her spirit and work for justice. No matter what narratives continue about Carol, we are inspired by her fire and we take small comfort in knowing “comrades don’t die, comrades multiply.”

Rest in Power dear Caro. Viva mtetezi, Viva!

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EJE Campaign

Justice For Carilton Maina from Kibera – Another Victim of Extrajudicial Killings

Carilton Maina, a 23 year old from Kibera, was shot on December 21 on his way home from watching a football match. It is said that Carilton was “cornered between two stalls and shot on his stomach, chest and face even after the student had surrendered and was pleading for his life.”

This is another young Kenyan life that has been taken too soon by the injustice of police bullets. Shot 50 meters from his mother’s home, police still insisted he was a criminal. We are happy to see that IPOA has launched an investigation, but hope that this case does not end up another case that is not taken forward. We pray and console with his family, and continue to demand justice for all victims of extra judicial killings. R.I.P Carilton, we remember you.

 

 

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EJE Campaign Solidarity

Threats to Justice Centre’s Working Group Members Must Stop!

Since the November 7th press conference organized by the Justice Centre’s Working Group to militate against the recent surge in extrajudicial killings in poor urban settlements like Dandora and Mathare and around the country, threats to various members of this Working Group have increased. In particular, on various social media sites, personalities such as the notorious Hessy wa Dandora (and other Hessys and their fans) have made direct threats to human rights defenders linked to the Dandora Community Justice Centre (DCJC), and also known police officers have issued threats against MSJC’s field coordinator Kennedy Chindi/JJ. Some of these threats are on Facebook and examples are below.

This is a situation made worse by the Governor of Nairobi who supports the violent police actions, that have also increased over the last two months.

Even while the Police Reforms Working Group (PRWG) and the Justice Centre’s Working Group(JCWG) marched to the Dandora Police Station on November 16th to lodge formal complaints against the intimidation and threats, these continue and we also continue to steadfastly agitate against the extrajudicial killings and the threats against us.

We ask for solidarity for members of the Justice Centre’s Working Group at this time, and for the public to come out strongly against these extrajudicial killings.

 

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