Steve Kayuni

Dr Steve Kayuni is a Malawian lawyer and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Education

Steven Kayuni completed his PhD at Sussex between 2013 and 2016 and his Master of Laws (LLM) between 2009 and 2010.^[1]

Career

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.^[1]

Shepherd Bushiri Lawsuit

Steven Kayuni was singled out as the person behind the blocking of Bushiri’s daughter Israella from leaving Malawi to seek medical attention in Kenya on the 19th of March 2021.

Despite reports Shepherd Bushiri had forgiven Kayuni, Kenyan and Malawian doctors released sworn affidavits alleging that a decision allegedly made by Kayuni reduced the child’s chances of survival from a hopefully 90% to just 5%.

Israella Bushiri was refused medical evacuation at Kamuzu International Airport in February 2021. A private medical ambulance chartered by the family was turned away at the airport. Israella was only permitted to leave Malawi on the 25th of February after the family approached the courts. She died on the 29th of March, in Nairobi, Kenya.

In an interview after the Bushiris appeared before a Lilongwe Magistrate, Steve Kayuni said he could not comment to questions surrounding Israella’s death as the matter was still before the courts.

Kayuni also refused to confirm or deny the allegations by the Bushiri family that it was his decision to block the child’s travelling.

Kayuni is the lead prosecutor in the extradition case between the Bushiri’s and South Africa.

Sources within the family stated that the Bushiris intend to lay criminal charges of involuntary manslaughter (culpabale homicide) against “whoever made that decision to stop the medical evacuation”

Bushiri’s spokesperson, Ephraim Nyondo said that if any wrongdoing was proven, the family would seek justice.^[2]