Kenya: Update on the assault against Faith Onyimbo
The accused, Constance Rukia, was taken to court on Monday and charged with assault causing bodily harm (under section 251 of the Penal Code). The case will be mentioned on Monday April 27 at the Chief Magistrate’s Court. So far, COVAW and KHRC are the only organizations that have officially agreed to watch brief for the case and several activists have written statements of support on internet listservs in reaction to the hate crime that happened last week. We would like to see a bigger show of solidarity particularly from within civil society
Update on the assault against Faith Onyimbo
The accused, Constance Rukia, was taken to court on Monday and charged with assault causing bodily harm (under section 251 of the Penal Code). The case will be mentioned on Monday April 27 at the Chief Magistrate’s Court.
So far, COVAW and KHRC are the only organizations that have officially agreed to watch brief for the case and several activists have written statements of support on internet listservs in reaction to the hate crime that happened last week. We would like to see a bigger show of solidarity particularly from within civil society
We also want to acknowledge the support of the 2 police officers involved in the case that have taken the violent incident seriously and promised to apprehend the two bouncers involved in this case.
The principal witness in the case identified one of the men who was holding Faith when she got hit on the head by the accused, and who tried to help her escape. We gave his name to the police this morning, and they have promised to apprehend the bouncer and bring him into the station within the next few days. We are waiting to see the two men brought to justice soon.
Faith left the hospital on Tuesday April 21 with a few stitches on her forehead and a badly bruised eye and was re-admitted in Nairobi Hospital yesterday after experiencing dizzy spells and black out sessions. Her condition is being monitored over the weekend and she will hopefully be discharged on Monday April 27th.
We are currently drafting an online petition that we will release on Friday May 1st in preparation for the commemoration of The International Day Against Homophobia on May 17th, this petition will call for laws criminalizing queerness and same sex acts to be repealed and we will present the petition and signatures to the AG chambers on Monday May18th.
Ways that you can support:
1. Come to the courts on Monday April 27th from 9am in solidarity.
2. Sign the online petition and circulate it widely: We urge all members of the community, friends and allies, organizations working within civil society for social justice and human rights and all our supporters in the cause to sign the petition and circulate it widely.
3. We need to make a public stand in the defense of ALL African people’s liberation and queer/trans rights. We need to make it consistently known that we will not condone violence against women & trans people and that we will not stand to see any of our sisters and brothers having their rights violated, while we are quiet or complacent.
Join us in the struggle. Africa Huru!
For further information:
Alix Mukonambi – MWA
[email][email protected]
Pouline Kimani – MWA/GALCK
[email][email protected]