The United Nations has condemned the murder of a Kenyan journalist who had investigated police corruption and whose beheaded body was found in a forest late last month, Xinhua reported.
The remains of Francis Nyaruri, who wrote articles on police corruption for the independent Weekly Citizen under the name of Mong'are Mokua, were found on Jan. 29 in western Kenya two weeks after the journalist's disappearance.
A statement from the UN Scientific, Educational and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) director-general Koichiro Matsuura received here Saturday condemned the incident and called for further probe.
"I condemn the murder of Francis Nyaruri. I trust that this crime will be investigated and that its culprits will be brought to trial, not just for the sake of Francis Nyaruri but the sake of democracy and good governance," said Matsuura.
"Journalists like him carry out important, albeit controversial, work that contributes to debate and democracy," Matsuura added.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reports that Nyaruri, the second journalist to be killed in Kenya in the past year, had told colleagues that he had received threats before he went missing.
Nyaruri's body was discovered with his hands tied behind his back and deep gashes on his body. The campaign group, Reporters Without Borders, said Nyaruri was reported missing last month after writing about alleged corruption.
His body was found last Thursday in Kodera Forest, in Nyanza Province, western Kenya. "We call on the police to pursue all possible leads and ensure that the perpetrators of this hideous crime are brought to justice," said Rhodes.