The death of 24-year-old Julia Njoki in police custody is a painful reminder of how injustice in the courtroom can end a life.
Arrested on July 7 during the Saba Saba protests in Nanyuki, Julia was brought before Resident Magistrate Immaculate Deche, who set her bail at 50,000 shillings.
Julia was unemployed and clearly unable to raise such an amount. Instead of considering her financial situation, the magistrate chose to send her back to custody.
Days later, Julia was dead, the result of blunt force trauma injuries sustained while in police custody. This outcome cannot be dismissed as an unfortunate accident.
The moment Magistrate Deche decided to impose a bail that Julia could not afford, she essentially signed off on sending her back into a dangerous environment.
That decision, as many Kenyans have said on social media, was not just insensitive it was reckless. It ignored the realities faced by many young, unemployed protesters who simply want their voices heard.
And now, because of that decision, a young woman is dead. The anger is loud and growing. Social media platforms are filled with posts condemning the magistrate’s actions.
One widely shared post named Deche directly, accusing her of sending Julia back to the wolves. Others have gone further, calling her a willing tool of a system that punishes the poor and shields the powerful.
These are not just emotional outbursts. They are the voices of citizens who feel betrayed by a justice system that seems more interested in making examples out of protestors than protecting their rights.
Magistrate Deche’s record is now under the microscope. There are claims she previously mishandled other cases, keeping suspects in court for months without progress.
These claims add weight to the idea that what happened to Julia wasn’t a one-time mistake. There appears to be a pattern, one that leaves poor Kenyans at the mercy of a system that does not care for them.
The judiciary cannot ignore this. It must ask why a protester facing minor charges was given such a steep bail. It must explain how a magistrate can make such decisions without accountability.
And most importantly, it must accept that this kind of recklessness has deadly consequences.
Julia Njoki should not have died. Her family should not be planning a burial while demanding answers from a court that was meant to deliver justice.
Those responsible, including Magistrate Deche, must be held to account not just for the sake of one family, but for the country. This tragedy is not just about one death; it’s about a broken system that allowed it to happen.
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