Ruo’s death was stage-managed by the State, says KNHRC

Updated Wednesday, April 24 2013 at 00:00 GMT+3

By DANN OKOTH

 A relative pleaded with slain suspected Mungiki adherent Kimani Ruoto flee to Washington DC through Kampala hours before he was murdered in June 2007 by suspected State agents, details have emerged.

The saga surrounding his death reportedly also claimed the lives of at least seven police officers who were directly or indirectly involved in planning and executing the murder, as well as one lawyer.

“He had just visited me at my workplace and told me he was afraid for his life ahead of the delivery of judgment in a case in which he was charged with possessing firearms,” says Ruo’s brother Isaac Mbugua.

“I have an uncle in DC who could have taken him in and shielded him because it was apparent someone was determined to eliminate him. I told him to escape to the US through Kampala, but he instead insisted he would proceed to court saying the Lord was on his side,” says Mbugua, who termed his murder police execution.

New evidence by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) details how undercover police squads, directed by Special Crimes Police Unit choreographed the murder.

NEW EVIDENCE

It details how on June 26, 2007, the material date of the judgment, a senior Corporal of police (CPL) working with the squad informed his colleagues that there was an urgent assignment that the Commissioner of Police wanted the Unit to undertake at the Nairobi Central Law Courts.

The instructions were reportedly passed to the Unit through a senior CID officer through the head of Special Unit Squad.

The team drove to court in a hired white Toyota saloon and joined several other senior officers.

While parked outside City Hall, the CPL informed the team that the assignment entailed the arrest ofKimani Ruo, a suspected Mungiki leader who was due to be acquitted by the court.

The instructions from the Police Commissioner were that Mr Ruo was to be arrested secretly without creating any commotion, since there would be many journalists.The CPL, who was known to Ruo, had duped Ruo that he was going to assist him evade the police who were out to arrest him and as such, there was no commotion as the unsuspecting Ruo willingly entered the vehicle. While in the car, the Corporal and his boss informed him that the mission had been accomplished.

Ruo was driven to the headquarters of the Special Unit located near Kenyatta National Hospital.

While at the headquarters, the vehicle was parked in a manner that no one would see Ruo and the CPL went to the office to speak to his boss.

He reportedly came back after 30 minutes and told the team that the boss had consulted the necessary authorities who approved the operation.

He then a called senior officer who leads another special unit and told him there was an urgent assignment that he was required to assist.

The officer arrived almost immediately with two police vehicles — a white Toyota Corolla saloon and a grey Toyota Corolla, KAV 691X accompanied by several officers and two other Mungiki suspects carried in the trunks of the two vehicles.

The convoy of three vehicles drove out of the Unit headquarters, took Ngong Road and diverted at Embulbul trading centre after which they drove a few kilometres into a bush.

EXECUTED

Ruo and the other two suspects were ordered out of the car and their hands tied with a rope after which they were viciously beaten with wooden bars and kicks in a bid to extract information about their involvement in Mungiki activities.

Ruo reportedly fainted at some point as a result of the beatings.

After thorough beatings which lasted about five hours, the three admitted that they were involved inMungiki activities.

The Inspector recorded the confessions using a tape recorder.He then called his boss and replayed the recordings on phone. The boss then reportedly laughed and said “kazi iendelee namna hiyo” (good work). The team was then instructed to wait at the scene for further instructions from the Commissioner of Police.

The entire team drove to the Nairobi Province Police Headquarters where they met a senior provincial officer, who gave them money to buy some food.

 The officer informed them that since Ruo’s arrest was bound to generate public outcry, they were to hold him until the next day so as to assess the situation.

Ruo and the two others were locked up in the Inspector’s office located within the provincial headquarters and left under heavy guard.

Strict orders were given that the three were to be removed by 5am the next day so that other officers would not see them when they reported for duty in the morning.

The next day, the three were moved to Shauri Moyo Police Station. Again, at lunch time, the police team was given money for lunch by the Corporal.

The Inspector then informed the team that the instructions from the Commissioner of Police were that Ruo should be killed in such a way that the remains of his body should not be discovered.

At 7pm, Ruo, was driven out of Shauri Moyo Police Station and on to Thika Road accompanied by the CPL and another car from CID headquarters.

The team parked at Astrol petrol station (near President Uhuru Kenyatta’s farm) where they were told to wait for the Inspector and his team.

The Inspector arrived shortly thereafter in a convoy of four white Toyota Corolla saloon vehicles accompanied by another senior CPL and other officers.

The convoy led by the Inspector’s vehicle crossed to the opposite side of the highway and drove into the expansive Kenyatta farm and after several kilometres, the vehicles stopped and the Inspector asked the officers who were armed with clubs, ropes and machetes to alight with Ruo.

 The team reportedly subdued and killed Ruo with one strangling him with a rope while the other officers led by the Inspector kicked, and hacked Ruo to death with machetes.Immediately after the killing, the Inspector allegedly called his boss and informed him that his team had accomplished the mission.

Further, the CPL also called Police headquarters to relay the same information.

He then informed the team that the Commissioner was happy with the good work they had done but asked them to keep it confidential to avoid a backlash and each officer was given Sh2,000 for supper.

A senior CID officer directed that all the officers involved make a false claim of five days night-out allowance and each was given Sh10,000.

Yesterday, Mbugua said at least seven officers who knew about the murder of his brother but were not directly involved were also killed.

“For instance, there were four officers who went to my rural home in Nakuru to arrest my father and my mother to compel them to produce Ruo in court. They were later murdered in unclear circumstances,” Mbugua says.