Oliver Mathenge And Charles Wanyoro
6 July 2008
Nairobi — The Commission of Inquiry into the Post-Election Violence will start its public hearings on Wednesday, the probe team's secretariat announced on Saturday.
The commission established through the National Dialogue and Reconciliation process will hold its sessions at Kenyatta International Conference Centre, Nairobi from 9am.
The commission, chaired by Appeal Court judge Philip Waki is expected to investigate the facts and circumstances relating to the violence, and actions or omissions of state security agencies during the mayhem that claimed close to 2,000 lives.
A statement from the commission's secretary Mr George Kegoro said the public, groups of persons or organisations have been invited to the hearings. Any person with any evidence, information or views on the terms of reference of the Commission could send them to the probe team's secretariat at the KICC.
A senior investigator from the Independent Police Conduct Authority in New Zealand, Mr Bob Grinstead was earlier in the week appointed to head the team looking specifically into the role of the security agencies in the violence caused by last year's presidential election results
The Waki team gets down to work in the wake of raging debate as to whether or not the government should grant amnesty to those arrested in connection with the violence. A section of leaders led by Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister Martha Karua have insisted that the suspects must face the law, a stand opposed by another group led by Agriculture minister William Ruto which maintains that charging the suspects would amount to selective application of the law as other individuals in government believed to have contributed to the violence were still free.
The commission will make recommendations on measures to prevent a repeat of the violence in the future, bring those responsible for criminal acts to justice, eradicate impunity and promote national reconciliation in Kenya.
It will also recommend other legal, political and administrative measures to contain violence witnessed in parts of the country every election year.
Meanwhile, assistant minister Peter Munya on Saturday proposed that the President and political parties should be barred from appointing ECK commissioners. Mr Munya told the Independent Review Commission inquiring the conduct of the ECK during last December elections that the officials tended to be loyal to their appointing authorities.
Speaking at the Meru County Council Hall, the Tigania East MP told Lady Justice Imani Daudi Aboud that parliament should decide who sits at the commission to ensure fair play. He proposed that credible civil society bodies float names to the parliament for consideration based on merit and integrity.
Other leaders drawn from Meru also hit out at ECK chairman Mr Samuel Kivuitu for his utterances following delays to release results from area constituencies.
Imenti North legislator Silas Muriuki also addressed the team.
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