MAKARA FREE AT LAST!

On Friday the 4th of April the State withdrawn a case at The Nyahururu Law Court of robbery with violence against David Makara Ngure, a 23 years old, volunteer social worker with St. Martin C.S.A HIV/AIDS Programme. He is also the secretary of the Nyahururu Parish Catholic Youth. He sat for his K.C.S.E. examinations in 2001.

Makara (3rd right) receives a warm welcome after discharge

Mr. Makara and the co-accused Stanley Mungai Mbugua and Johnson Ndiragu were accused of having robbed with violence on the 15th of December 2002. On the fateful day Mr. Makara was shot by the Nyahururu police and grievously injured, as a result of which his right arm was amputated.

Makara who was facing a possible death sentence is now a free man, thanks mainly to the speedy efforts of The C.I.D. Criminal Investigations Department, the Office of the Attorney General and his advocates Messer's Victor Kamau and Joseph Nderitu Kibugu.

Makara's long walk to freedom began when his advocates informed the C.I.D Director Mr. Daniel Ndugu of the brutality their client had suffered in the hands of the Nyahururu police. The C.I.D. then conducted a thorough independent investigation. The results of the investigation were forwarded to the A.G.s Office. Based on the C.I.D report the Director of Public Prosecutions Mrs. Unittah Kidula withdrew the case.

David was shot and grievously wounded by the police at around 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 15, 2002. His right arm has now been amputated as a result of the brutal shooting that occurred just outside the Nyahururu police station.

According to David, who lives with his parents at Mwireri village in the outskirts of the town, on the fateful day he had gone to collect some video cassettes at a video library within the Site & Service Estate in Nyahururu town. He runs a commercial Video Show jointly with James Maina and Paul Guku at Mwireri-Gikingi.

While Makara was in his shop a policeman entered and just picked on David. "Even you are one of them”. And so David was arrested with two other people in an apparent police swoop and bundled into a police vehicle.

Along the way to the Nyahururu police station, David, was promised freedom by one of the arresting officers on condition that he bought it with money. He gave the officer seventy shillings and on arrival at the station, he was advised by the officer to go away.

Just outside the gate, an officer pursued him and without even asking him to surrender, fired three times, hitting him on the arm and just above the hip joint. The police officer that shot David left him for the dead and returned to the station.

However, David managed to crawl to the Nyahururu district hospital just across the road. The assailant officers went in search of Mr. Makara at the hospital where he had been admitted. The nurses and hospital staff restrained the visibly agitated and arrogant officers from harming him further.

Justice has been done however the tormentors of Mr. Makara must be brought to book and held accountable for violating the rights of an innocent man.

Philip Lumumba
CP for Human rights and Active Non-Violence