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Kenya: Ali Dismisses KIAI's Report On Executions
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The East African Standard (Nairobi)
7 November 2007
Posted to the web 6 November 2007
Jibril Adan And Mutinda Mwanzia
Nairobi
The Police Commissioner has accused the Kenya National Human Rights Commission of spoiling the name of the police to justify its existence.
Maj-Gen Hussein Ali rubbished the commission chairman, Mr Maina Kiai's accusations on Monday that the police had killed nearly 500 people in the crackdown on Mungiki sect members between June and October. He challenged Kiai to show evidence.
"The police takes great exception to the grave accusations made recklessly by KNCHR, accusing police of involvement in the murder of missing persons. These are allegations made without a shred of evidence," he said.
Addressing a press conference at Vigilance House, Ali said it was irresponsible for a public official "to engage in unwarranted rumors".
He said the commission should know that no institution had the right to arrogate itself the right to make unsubstantiated accusations against anyone.
"KNCHR justifies its existence by vilifying the police. Sadly, there are those in KNCHR who define the hallmarks of their duties as vilifying the police to attract media attention," Ali said.
The report by KNCHR was nothing more than a "bunch of allegations lacking in fact", Ali said, and urged Kiai to look at the consequences of the statements he had made.
"What impression would the relatives of the missing persons have of the system?" he asked. The police boss said the allegations would not help boost accountability and solving of crimes.
"Crimes are neither solved in boardrooms nor by public grandstanding by people who want to re-invent themselves," the commissioner said.
On Monday, KNCHR said the police had executed 454 men between June and October, adding that the deaths coincided with the crackdown on the outlawed sect.
The report said the bodies were dumped at the City Mortuary or in Ngong Forest. At the mortuary, they were identified as 'young Kikuyu adults'.
The commission said it had talked to residents in Ngong who claimed they saw a police van where the bodies were dumped. But the police would not accept the commission's report. Ali said: "It is unfortunate that a Government body can engage in activism. In many ways, this illustrates the level to which KNCHR has degenerated."
Ali said the police force was proud for reducing crime, "including the Mungiki that KNCHR wants to speak for".
He said the force was investigating the deaths.
Police Spokesman, Mr Eric Kiraithe, said 13 cases had been confirmed and inquest files opened.
He said in three other cases, suspects had been arrested and would be charged in court. Kiraithe also dismissed the commission's report, saying it glorified the Mungiki and described it as "a work of art driving us to the edge of the absurd".
Elsewhere, ODM-Kenya presidential candidate, Mr Kalonzo Musyoka, has called for an end to extra-judicial killings, saying they had caused anguish to many families.
He challenged the Government to order independent investigations into the executions, saying Kenyans needed to know the truth.
"With so many bodies found dumped with gunshot wounds, we should unravel the truth and stop passing the buck," said Kalonzo.
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He said many homes, especially in Central Province where many youths went missing during the crackdown on the Mungiki sect, were mourning.
Kalonzo spoke after he returned from a two-day visit in Botswana.
He said the commission should not be criticised over the report, adding that it had acted in good faith.
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| Copyright © 2007 The East African Standard. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections -- or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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