Francis Nyauri

Francis Kainda Nyaruri, also known as Mong'are Mokua (ca. 1978 – 29 January 2009), a Kenyan freelance journalist for the Weekly Citizen newspaper in Nyamira, Nyamira County, Kenya, had published several articles about local police officials exposing acts of corruption and malpractice approximately two weeks before his dead body was found decapitated with hands bound.

Personal life Thirty-one year old Francis Nyaruri is survived by his wife Josephine Kwamboka who identified him at Kisii Hospital on 29 January 2009. Kwamboka stated her husband had left the house earlier to travel to Kisii to buy construction materials he was in dire need of. His wife then informed reporters the last time she had talked with Francis was around 11 am. Friends and family had stated that about a month prior to Nyaruri's disappearance he had confided in them about recent death threats he was receiving in regards to his latest articles revealing police malpractice.

Career Francis Nyaruri was a freelance journalist at a private newspaper the Weekly Citizen. Nyaruri wrote under the pen name Mong'are Mokua since most of his articles told stories of corruption involving police and municipal official in Nyamira. This made him an enemy to many officials in his local area, but Nyaruri never feared which sometimes caused him to act without precautions.

Disappearance and death Kenyan police say Nyaruri had gone missing within two days of when the threats had been received. When family members reported Nyaruri as a missing person they noticed the police officials seemed to be very reluctant to help and almost seemed uncooperative suggesting he had failed to come home due to an alleged affair with a woman from a neighbouring town and that the family should wait a couple days or even a week before calling the police.

Reactions Reporters Without Borders said it was shocked by the murder of Nyaruri, found dumped in the forests. "We would like above all to express our deep sympathy to the victim's family," Reporters Without Borders said. RSF urged the authorities, including the police chief Larry Kieng, to establish the motive behind the murder and to bring those responsible to justice.

On 3 March 2009, Joel Simon, executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists wrote to the President of the Republic of Kenya stating his organisation's concern over the lack of progress in Nyaruri's police investigation. In the letter, Simon said, representatives from "Nyamira's local government may be involved with Francis Nyaruri's murder and he tries asking for permission from the parliament to put together a private group to carry on with the investigation due to the close nature of the police officers on the force. Local journalists in Kenya say Kenya's once vibrant media now often practices self-censorship, as many journalists refrain from reporting on violent attacks for fear of deadly reprisals." Journalists also expressed that they feel as if journalists should be able to do their job right and well without the fear of being attacked or viciously threatened.