Editor's Review

Stephen Leliman apologized to Kenyans but called for the appeal of his son's death sentence.

The family of Fredrick Leliman has weighed in on the verdict of lawyer Willie Kimani's murder case.

Leliman, an interdicted police officer, was on Friday, February 3, handed death sentence after a Nairobi court found him guilty of masterminding the lawyer's brutal murder.

Led by their patriarch Stephen Leliman, the family has owned up on behalf of their son and apologized to Kenyans.

However, the 70-year-old man has called for the appeal of the ruling.

Stephen Leliman, Fredrick Leliman's father.

The septuagenarian said his son had not had any history of wrongdoing, adding that the news of him killing the attorney came as a shocker.

“Mimi nasema aisulu kwa maana mimi sina nguvu, wacha niwachie Mungu, yeye pekee yake ndio anajua. Mimi naomba msamaha kwa Wakenya, nisaidie kwa huyu kijana aappeal hiyo kesi yake," he told Citizen TV.

The old man added he would now be charged with the responsibility of taking care of his convicted son's three children.

Leliman's co-accused in the case were handed a couple of years in jail; Stephen Cheburet was handed 30 years, Silvya Wanjiku 24 years and Peter Ngugi 20 years.

Speaking after the verdict, Kimani's father Paul Kinuthia argued the ruling on the trio was lenient.

The 84-year-old said their deserved to have a longer sentences than what was handed to them.