Kenyan environmental activists arrested while demanding fair treatment before Nairobi City Council

12 young environmental activists from Huruma arrested while demanding equitable treatment before the Nairobi City Council. Please send letters requesting their release to the Ministry of Justice at ps-justice@justice.go.ke.

Members of Human Rights City Kenya and Garbage collectors in Starehe Constituency are appealing for quick assistance to their members, the members Taka ni Pato, Mwamko wa Vijana, Starehe social congress and Macho ya Mazingira among others, who were arrested on April 23, 2010 at 1:00 am and detained at Huruma Police Post and later taken to City court on the morning of April 23, 2010.

The arrests were malicious and meant to intimidate members who engage in environmental issues in order to earn their livelihood through garbage collection.

The following is the list of those arrested and still detained in Industrial Area Prisons

Name File Number Bail charges

Anthony Gitau Michael 271/2010 25,000
Peterson Njagi Micheni 268/2010 30,000
Stephen Kung’u Karanja 271/2010 25,000
Ken Mwangi Nyamu 270/2010 30,000
Peter Githuka Wambui 269/2010 40,000
Joseph Mourinho Janeffera 270/2010 30,000
Samuel Kung’u Kimotho 268/2010 30,000
Charles Njiri Kiruiru 269/2010 40,000
Dixon Agoya Okusi 270/2010 30,000
Daniel Gitau Theuri 271/2010 25,000

They were charged with illegal dumping yet they have certificates from the Nairobi City Council for waste collection and a dumping site for disposing the garbage. The following are breadwinners of their families and two of them left little children in the house without any care.
This arrests are common in the area, with the charges always being illegal dumping, touting and being members of illegal sects (Mungiki).

Note that on April 9, 2010 Peter Kariuki Nyaga and Josphat Mureithi Nyaga were arrested, detained and later taken to court charged with illegal dumping and are currently detained at Kamiti Maximum Prisons

WE ARE NOW APPEALING TO ALL CIVIL SOCIETY MEMBERS AND HUMAN RIGHT DEFENDERS TO COME TO THE RESCUE OF THESE YOUNG INNOCENT KENYANS BY PROVIDING THEM WITH A LAWYER AND CASH BAIL.

Statement prepared by Rose Nyawira