Kenya in shock after killing of environmental activist Joannah Stutchbury

Environmental activist Joannah Stutchbury was murdered outside her home on Thursday, July 15, 2021. Joannah Stutchbury was highly respected by her peers for her decades-long fight against illegal deforestation in Kiambu, near the Kenyan capital © Facebook / Joannah stutchbury

Text by: RFI Follow

4 min

In Kenya, renowned environmentalist Joannah Stutchbury, 67, was shot dead on Thursday night by gunmen outside her home.

She had gotten out of her car to clear branches that were blocking the road leading to her house.

The perpetrators of the act are still not known to this day.

Forty NGOs and environmental defense associations issued a joint statement and even President Kenyatta reacted.

Publicity

Read more

With our correspondent in Nairobi,

Albane Thirouard

For conservationists, there is no doubt: it was because of her engagement that Joannah Stutchbury was killed.

This Kenyan activist has been fighting for several years against illegal deforestation in the Kiambu forest, 16 km from the capital.

His death caused a stir among environmental activists in Kenya.

In a statement, President Uhuru Kenyatta condemned a murder committed by "

 fools

 " who "

 shed the blood of innocent people who work hard to build a better Kenya for all

 ". 

For Irungu Houghton, executive director of Amnesty International in Kenya, there is no doubt: it was his activism that claimed the life of Joannah Stutchbury. “

It was a target of private developers, because they want to exploit the forest as much as possible. It is not a theft, but an assassination, because she was killed but nothing was stolen from her, they left everything there. His murder is a shock for the whole country,

 ”he explains.

Joannah Stutchbury had been threatened on several occasions and she was unfortunately not an isolated case in Kenya. In recent years several conservationists have been assassinated. “ 

When we lose an environmentalist colleague, we tell ourselves that it can happen to us too. People who fight for good causes are either threatened or killed. As an environmentalist, I no longer feel safe here in Kenya,

 ”laments Elizabeth Wathuti, an environmental activist and founder of the Generation Green initiative in Kenya. 

Environmental activists, armed with extraordinary courage, are being murdered in increasing numbers. # JoannaStuchburry, remembered for her tireless efforts in protecting Kiambu forest in Kenya has been killed😔!



This must be condemned and justice served.

Defend the defenders🌍!

pic.twitter.com/0EiNn3HM1C

- Elizabeth Wathuti 🇰🇪 (@lizwathuti) July 16, 2021

Conservationists are calling for Joannah Stutchbury's killers to be brought to justice.

President Kenyatta promised that the police would do everything to stop them, calling them " 

enemies of the country 

".

We call for thorough investigations into the murder of conservationist, Joannah Stutchbury.

Standing up for the Constitution isn't a crime.

Read our joint statement with 44 other organizations from Kenya and across Africa.

# Justice4Joanna https://t.co/tHZKekuQ3u pic.twitter.com/jXdOb3g1Ll

- Amnesty Kenya (@AmnestyKenya) July 16, 2021

►Also read: Kenya: avocado crops, a new threat to the survival of elephants

Newsletter

Receive all international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

  • Environment

  • Kenya

  • Justice

  • Uhuru Kenyatta