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Kenya: Talk to Militia, Muite Tells Raila
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The Nation (Nairobi)
12 May 2008
Posted to the web 12 May 2008
Odhiambo Orlale
Nairobi
Prime Minister Raila Odinga was Sunday asked to extend an olive branch to the Sabaot Land Defence Force in Mt Elgon District as he starts to dialogue with Mungiki sect leaders.
Former Kabete MP Paul Muite supported similar calls by some religious leaders to the ODM leader to go ahead with his announcement last month that he would promote dialogue between the Government and the outlawed group.
Across the board
On Sunday, Mr Muite, who chaired the parliamentary committee on administration of justice and legal affairs in the Ninth Parliament, said the number of extra-judicial killings of Mungiki members was worrying.
"I support the principle of dialogue as a way of solving the problems of insecurity, but it must be applied across the board by including other groups like the SLDF," he said.
The former MP told the Prime Minister that he was happy with his proposed move to promote dialogue with the Mungiki leaders.
"The PM should go ahead and start acting on his dialogue promise with the Mungiki, but it should be extended to other groups like the SLDF as well," the former MP said, adding that the talks should not mean the groups would automatically get amnesty.
Mr Muite said the law should still take its course where there was evidence of atrocities by any of the group's members.
Declared war
Calls for dialogue with Mungiki were also made by former MPs from Mount Kenya, led by the former Defence minister Njenga Karume and former Government chief whip Norman Nyagah.
On Saturday, former Subukia MP Koigi Wamwere also supported calls for dialogue.
The Mungiki and SLDF are outlawed groups that the Government has declared war on, and has been using the regular police, para-military General service Unit and even the military to root out.
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Internal security minister Prof George Saitoti said in Parliament in a ministerial statement that the Government would not engage in dialogue with them.
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