James Ratemo And Judy Ogutu
3 January 2008
Nairobi — Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) wants Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa to oversee fresh tallying of the disputed presidential election results.
The commission also expressed shock over the continuing post-election violence.
In a statement, KHRC chairman, Prof Makau Mutua, on Wednesday appealed for calm and called on President Kibaki to initiate dialogue with his ODM rival, Mr Raila Odinga.
"President Kibaki must agree to an independent review of the tally of the presidential ballots. Kibaki, Odinga and (Kalonzo) Musyoka should invite Archbishop Tutu to chair a panel to review the vote tally," he said.
The commission said ODM, PNU and ODM-Kenya should agree on a list of individuals of impeccable moral integrity to sit on the panel.
Political leaders, he said, should not let results of an election cause "genocidal attacks" that could plunge the country into a civil war.
"Senseless and barbaric killings of innocent people huddled in fear in a church in Eldoret recall the genocidal scenes witnessed in Rwanda in 1994, not the Kenya that we know and love," said Mutua.
"Kenya now sits on a knife edge. This is in contrast to our reputation as the beacon of hope in a turbulent region."
To save the situation, KHRC said, top leaders must act like statesmen.
"To save our country, KHRC proposes that Kibaki, Raila, and Kalonzo separately and jointly issue unequivocal statements to their supporters condemning violence," he said.
He urged the leaders to stop making belligerent and unbending statements as this would inflame the mayhem.
Lobby wants fresh poll held
Meanwhile an international lobby group has called for a repeat of the General Election. Humanist International on Wednesday said this would be the only way to legitimise the Kibaki Government.
In a statement to the Press, the organisation president, Mr Giorgio Schultze, said: "The best way to calm the situation is to announce and guarantee new free and fair elections in the presence of international observers."
The group also called for an end to the post-violence that has rocked the country. The Europe-based organisation asked ODM leader, Mr Raila Odinga, to calm his followers.
"We urge you, Mr Odinga, to act responsibly as a leader. Lead your people to the path of non-violence and reconciliation and not the path of hatred," said Schultze.
He asked political leaders to emulate Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi who "showed the whole of mankind the moral force of non-violence, fighting in a non-violent way against discrimination and injustice".
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we are saddened at what is happening in kenya. but how on earth did anyone select tutu to mediate? tutu works with what he hears in the media and not facts. mediation efforts require those exposed to intelligence on the real circumstances surrounding matters. i have seen tutu stray into the wilderness when it comes to his views on zimbabwe. he does not know the true picture in zimbabwe his neighbouring country why then should anyone dream of him understanding the fundamentals in kenya.
The developments in Kenya have us worried and we sit with our children during supper our hands cannot find our mouths and we truly grieve and mourn the tragedy of events. We hope our elders Dr J kafour and Archbishop Tutu will succeed in humbling themselves to our brothers and sisters so that they can come with a well supported and acceptable peace deal.
Kenya has a special place in our mythology as South Africans. Our mythical palace from which all our Eastern tribes come from is called Embo and it has been proved to be located in Kenya just… [Read Full Text]