Catholic Information Service for Africa (Nairobi)
17 June 2008
Nyeri — Persons in police custody on various charges connected with the 2007 post-election violence should be dealt with in accordance with the law, the Catholic Church said.
Politicians allied to the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) wing of the Grand Coalition Government have been calling for release of the suspects who are facing charges including rape and murder.
ODM leader and Prime Minister Raila Odinga said the suspects were fighting for democracy following rigging of last year's presidential election against him. They should be released unconditionally. But the Party of National Unity (PNU) side of government wants the cases heard and determined.
The chairman of the Kenya Episcopal Conference Cardinal John Njue rejected the calls for amnesty on Saturday and demanded that the rule of law be respected.
"Justice must be seen to be done. Anything other than that will not bring unity. Let the cases be tried; those who will be found innocent should be left to go home; those who are found to have committed a crime, let them take responsibility."
Cardinal Njue's call for respect for the rule of law comes weeks after he and other church leaders from central Kenya urged the government to stop a police crackdown on the proscribed Mungiki sect and instead engage the group in dialogue. Mungiki is behind a string of bizarre murders, extortion and a campaign to impose a dress code and circumcision on women.
The cardinal spoke in Nyeri Town at the installation of the new archbishop of the region, Peter Kairo, which was attended by among other dignitaries Prime Minister Odinga and Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka.
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