Imprisoning University Student-Wadi Over Frivolous Charges Is Deeply Concerning! For Gods sake. Allan Wadi Okengo, alias lieutenant Wadi; is not supposed to be in prison. Hes supposed to be in class preparing to graduate with a degree in political science. Sadly, the boy was jailed by Jubilee government for two years over hate speech and insulting president Uhuru. In the first charge, the student was accused of calling for deportation of Kikuyu from diaspora back to their ancestral land in central region. I will explain why this was wrong. In the second charge, the student was accused of insulting and demeaning president Uhuru Kenyatta. The student alleged that Security laws (amendment) act 2014 was a silly bill that was passed by silly Jubilee skunks and assented on by a silly president. The speed and temerity of the process, the boy lamented, shows the bang president is desperate to dictate and throw away our democratic space, The Standard reported. In my opinion, these charges are ridiculous against the backdrop of freedom of speech. Theyre meant to stifle dissent and instill fear. At least the boy should have been mandated to offer public apology especially in the first account which is incite-full against Kenyans of Kikuyu descent. The second charge is frivolous. It contradicts freedom of speech. It is neither an insult nor a disrespectful statement. It is a mere expression of individuals conscience as protected by the law. What is raising serious concerns is that the boy was arrested, investigated, arraigned in court, tried and jailed within a record lightening speed. It is highly likely that the skewed trial process violated the boys fundamental rights that guarantees a fair trial. It is alleged that the boy was denied access to legal representation and communication with family while being held incommunicado-a style that resonates with the dark days of former president Mois regime. It is believed the boy was intimidated and coerced to plead guilty as a strategy of disorienting a fair trial in which his story would have been heard. If I were a lawyer, I would take this case on pro-bono basis, appeal it and demand a retrial. But since Im not, I will vent here. I hope Raila and CORD will demand justice for Wadi. But Im now seriously considering to study law. What is even more worrying is that on one hand, the government continues to babysit and beg Moses Kuria to apologize for hate speech. Yet on the other hand, the same government just jailed a teenage university student who is yet to fully develop his thought process. Its called double standard. Double standard justice is a recipe for disaster. However, if sentencing Wadi was to be achieved by hook or crook, Jubilee government should have been merciful enough to hand him a commuted sentence of not more than six months-considering his state of mental instability as claimed by his closest friends. My heart aches.
Posted on: Sun, 04 Jan 2015 04:00:51 +0000
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