Staff ReporterThe Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Dr Steven Kayuni was singled out as the person behind the blocking of Bushiri’s daughter from leaving Malawi to seek medical attention in Kenya on the 19th of March 2021.
Bushiri’s two daughters, Raphaella and Israella together with his mother-in-law, Magdalena Zgambo, and another family member, Esther Bushiri, were turned away at Kamuzu International airport by Malawi authorities on their way to Kenya.
Speaking at a celebration of life service held for Israella Bushiri, her uncle Dr David Zgambo narrated how he and the family members tried in vain to find out the reasons why Israella was blocked from leaving Malawi to get urgent medical attention. He spoke of how efforts were made to seek an audience with the Director of Public Prosecution Steven Kayuni but all their efforts were thwarted as Kayuni avoided contact.
Just last month the Director of Public Prosecution conceded that his office was under pressure to expedite the extradition trial of Prophet Shepherd Bushiri so as to uphold the diplomatic relationship between Malawi and South Africa.
It is reported that even though the Bushiri family now hold Steven Kayuni responsible for blocking their efforts to seek urgent medical attention for the late Israella, prophet Shephard Bushiri, says he forgives Kayuni.
The instruction to block Israella from leaving Malawi for Kenya was not from President Chakwera but all Steven Kayuni’s doing.
Kayuni is a former Sussex law student who become the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in Malawi. He completed his PhD at Sussex between 2013 and 2016 and his Master of Laws (LLM) between 2009 and 2010.
As DPP, Dr Kayuni is based within Malawi’s Ministry of Justice and is responsible for overseeing all criminal prosecutions and criminal processes in the country.
Something that has proven to be a huge challenge given the way he has handled the Bushiri case in which a little girls life was unnecessarily lost.