Legal Commentary

Action alert! Press for activists release

By Ory Okolloh

KP readers, please lend your support to these brave souls who are doing the hard and important work that needs to be done to change Kenya. We might not all be able to march in the streets in protest of the numerous scandals bedeviling the country, so lets take action in other ways.

Note: The importance of logging a critical volume of messages, through multiple channels, especially internationally, cannot be underestimated. They may not result in immediate release, but they will influence the response to the habeas corpus filing tomorrow
morning. And may make all the difference to the level of physical abuse that Philo, Fwamba and Patrick suffer - or are saved from - at the hands of the police while in custody.

WHAT YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW

(1) Send a text message NOW, to Kenya’s President, Prime Minister, and Attorney General. Use the one below, or craft your own.
Mr. Kibaki / Mr. Odinga - we hold u accountable 4 police violence and illegal arrests against Philo Ikonya n other civil society activists. Release them NOW and fire Police Commissioner Ali.

To President Mwai Kibaki (via his spokesperson, Alfred Mutua):
Cellphone number + 254 721 240 443

To Prime Minister Raila Odinga
Cellphone + 254 733 620 736

Attorney General:
Amos Wako + 254 722 772 453

2) Send an email

To President Mwai Kibaki
presid…@statehousekenya.go.ke

To Prime Minister Raila Odinga
railaodi…@yahoo.com

Suggested Message:

Mr Kibaki / Mr. Odinga, I urge you to act immediately to release Philo Ikonya, Fwamba Chrispus, and Patrick Kamotho from illegal police custody. Police Commissioner Ali must be fired for presiding over
escalating police violations of civil and human rights in Kenya.

Signed: Name, Organization / Affiliation (if any), City, Country

3) If you are a Kenyan repeat steps 1) and 2) with your own MP andother parliamentarians. Contact details for Kenyan MPs at Mzalendo.

4) If you live outside Kenya, repeat steps 1) and 2), directing the texts and emails to the Kenyan Ambassador or High Commissioner in your
country. Contact details on this link:

5) If you are a foreign national living in Kenya, repeat steps 1) and 2) with the Ambassador or High Commissioner of your country in Kenya.

6) Copy to the Feedback Form on the site of the Kenyan Police Force: http://www.kenyapolice.go.ke/contactus.asp

7) Copy to Kofi Annan, in his capacity as the head of the Kenya
National Dialogue and Reconciliation Process, through his spokesman: Nasser Ega-Musa Nasser.Ega-M…@unon.org

Full post as published by Kenyan Pundit on February 18, 2009 (boomark / email).