Koigi wa Wamwere

The trial of Koigi wa Wamwere, a human rights activist, a former member of parliament and a prominent critic of the Kenyan government, began on 12 April 1994 and is still continuing. He is being tried with his brother, Charles Kuria Wammere, his cousin, James Maigwa and G.G. Mjuguna Ngengi, a local councillor. They have been charged with attempted robbery with violence following an alleged raid on Bahati police station near Nakuru, 150 kilometres northwest of Nairobi, …

…the law on armed robbery to detain, on non-bailable charges, non-violent critics of the government. The abusive use of criminal charges to detain political prisoners undermines the Kenyan government's claim to be abiding by the rule of law. Many human rights activists and others in Kenya see this trial as a test case. If these four men are found guilty and sentenced to death it will have serious implications for freedom of expression in Kenya.