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Kenya: Groups Demand Talks On Truth Bill
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The East African Standard (Nairobi)
17 April 2008
Posted to the web 16 April 2008
Brain Adero And Susan Anyangu
Nairobi
Civil society groups have asked the Speaker of the National Assembly to reject the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Bill when it is taken to Parliament.
The Attorney-General, Mr Amos Wako, was to publish the Bill today. The rights' groups want the proposed law returned to key players for "proper" constitution and amendment before it goes to the House.
Speaking at a forum organised by Multisectoral Task Force on Truth, Justice Reconciliation Process yesterday, the International Centre for Policy and Conflict Executive Director, Mr Ndung'u Wainaina, said the public would lobby MPs to demand that the Bill be properly drafted.
"The Bill, due to be published Thursday, has a lot of loopholes that need to be amended before Parliament starts debating on it. We want it to be owned by the people. The content must, therefore, be scrutinised," he said.
The groups questioned the method used to appoint commissioners under the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, saying the commission should be a public, not Government process.
"The commissioners must be firm, credible and able to withstand pressure and intimidation. We want the commission to be independent. We demand the independence of the commission guaranteed," Wainaina said.
But he said the commission was not independent because it was under the Justice and Constitutional Affairs ministry.
Wainaina further said there was need to separate legal procedures from political ones.
In the proposed Bill, the group said, the Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission would only deal with injustices committed between1963 and this year.
"We want an opportunity to address justice issues since pre-independence. We want the task force to cover human rights, land and economic crimes," he added.
The groups also said there was need for the implementing the Witness Protection Act before the commission starts its hearings.
"We also need clarity of implementation, a time frame and accountability," Wainaina said.
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Meanwhile, the Chairperson of Maendeleo ya Wanawake Organisation, Ms Rukia Subow, said the law, not the truth commission, should deal with corruption and human rights' violations.
She said the proposed Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission would focus on healing and reconciliation.
Subow also said the proposed time frame for the Commission to finish its work was not adequate.
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