Editor's Review

Kanjama questioned why there was no blood on the scene, yet the lawyer's left eye was gouged out.

A fresh twist has emerged in the alleged torture and murder of Advocate Tom Oyua Imbukwa.

In a statement issued on Thursday, April 23, the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Charles Kanjama claimed that Imbukwa was threatened by a police officer before his death.

Kanjama claimed that the deceased had made complaints about threats made on his life and even avoided his office because of the said officer.

"It is alleged that, for approximately two weeks before the incident. Counsel had been living in fear after receiving threats from a police officer, which reportedly caused him to avoid his place of work and court premises," the statement read in part.

He added that police officers could have been actively involved in the torture and brutal murder of the slain lawyer.

A file image of Advocate Tom Imbukwa, who was tortured and brutally murdered.


"It is further alleged that, before his condition deteriorated, Counsel stated that he had been assaulted by police officers and other individuals," Kanjama noted.

The LSK President intimated that when the deceased was found at Harambee Sacco Estate, his left eye had been gouged out.

He questioned a report by police officers who found him that indicated that there was no blood on the scene, yet the deceased bled to death from his injuries.

"This discrepancy raises concerns as to whether the assault occurred elsewhere and whether there may have been an attempt to conceal or misrepresent critical facts, highlighting the urgent need for thorough, transparent, and independent investigations," the statement continued.

Kanjama noted that the incident raised concerns about the increasing insecurity of law practitioners discharging their professional duty.

Consequently, he demanded that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the National Police Service conduct prompt, impartial, and comprehensive investigations to establish the full facts and circumstances surrounding Imbukwa's death.

The LSK Boss requested that the police officer who made threats to the lawyer be investigated and prosecuted if found liable.

"The Society expects that all investigations will be conducted transparently and that any individual found responsible, regardless of rank or office, will be held accountable strictly in accordance with the law. Impunity in matters involving violence against Advocates must not be tolerated," he stated.

Furthermore, LSK urged any member of the public with information that could help in the investigations to contact the Society or the police.

Kanjama will provide an Advocate to support the family throughout the investigative process and access to an independent pathologist for a post-mortem exam.

In the meantime, the LSK called upon its members to wear a purple ribbon as a symbol of mourning their departed colleague and in defence of the legal profession.

Imbukwa was admitted to the ICU at the Kenyatta National Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries during treatment.