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Joannna Stuchburry: Biden’s Demand To Uhuru On Murder
US President Joe Biden has asked Kenya to provide conclusive reports of the investigations into the murder of Kenyan environmentalist Joanna Stuchburry.
Special Presidential Envoy John Kerry issued a statement on the matter on Saturday morning, July 24 while mourning the late conservationist.
Kerry is the former US Secretary of State and Democratic Presidential nominee and advises Biden on matters climate and the environment. He was appointed to the role in November 2020, around the same month Biden was elected president.
Kerry mourned Joanna as a passionate advocate for the environment, adding that she unfortunately paid the ultimate price for her courage and exercising her human rights.
“I’m sickened by the tragic murder of activist Joannah Stutchbury in Kenya. Joannah was a passionate advocate for our environment.
“She paid the ultimate price for her courage and exercising her human rights. Justice must be served,” he wrote on Twitter.
Kerry’s statement comes after a group of conservationists wrote to Uhuru as well as the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Environmental Ministry calling for action against Stuchburry’s murder.
They issued four demands they wanted the Head of State to address. One of them urged Uhuru to direct the DCI to thoroughly investigate Stuchburry’s murder and to make public their status report within 14 days, that is by July 30, 2021.
The detectives were also directed to prosecute the perpetrators, including their agents and accomplices behind the act and to ensure that justice is met.
They also called upon the Ministry of Environment and Forestry to Coordinate with other relevant ministries and government departments to ensure the environment and forests are not afterthoughts whenever any decisions (be it development projects or otherwise) are made.
“My Government will pursue and apprehend the criminals behind the killing of Joanna. We will not allow few misguided individuals to continue shedding blood of innocent people working hard to make Kenya a better place for all of us.
“Those are cowardly enemies of our country,” President Kenyatta said.
Stuchburry was shot six times at close range: three times in the head and three times in the upper limbs. She died from excessive bleeding.
Renown for her relentless efforts to conserve Kiambu forest, Stuchburry was shot dead by unknown assailants on Thursday afternoon, July 15 in her driveway, some 150 metres from her home in Mushroom Gardens Estate, Kiambu County