Catholic Information Service for Africa (Nairobi)
19 August 2008
Nairobi — Cabinet ministers and parliamentarians, senior police officers and businessmen are among more than 200 people alleged to have planned and funded the post-election violence in January.
Some of the politicians named in the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) report have since died and were mourned as national heroes.
KNCHR said it was publishing the list in recognition of "the existence of the culture of impunity in Kenya and the need to remove this shield."
The report, On the Brink of the Precipice: A Human Rights Account of Kenya's Post-2007 Election Violence, recommends criminal investigations by the Attorney General or the Police Commissioner.
But on Tuesday when the report was presented to the Commission of Inquiry into the Post-election Violence chaired by Judge Philip Waki, the judge slapped an embargo on it.
CISA, therefore, cannot publish names of the people adversely mentioned. The alleged perpetrators were named by persons interviewed by KNHCR, but the list is not conclusive.
The agency said though it made every effort to ensure there was enough information supporting the adverse mentions, publication of the names does not mean that the persons mentioned are guilty.
The report trashes the claims by politicians that the violence was spontaneous. "There was organization and method to the violence. The attacks and counter-attacks were carried out with military discipline. For example, attackers in the Rift Valley participated in oathing ceremonies and donned a semblance of uniform; their attacks anticipated the need to mobilise reserve forces to assist the main attackers."
The violence was financed and sustained mainly by local politicians and businesspeople to support costs such as transport of attackers, weapons and other logistics. "The violence was largely instigated by politicians throughout the campaign period and during the violence itself via the use of incitement to hatred."
The media, and particularly local language media, promoted inter-ethnic hate. "Radio stations broadcasting in Kalenjin languages as well as in the Kikuyu language were culpable in this respect."
The report described the partisanship of the Church as "shocking and disillusioning" to Kenyans. Instead of the expected unity of voice, some churches and church leaders preached hatred against other communities in total disregard to biblical teaching.
"It became increasingly predicable which church/church leader would support which political stand depending on which politician was advancing it and invariably the underlying reason was ethnic loyalty."
The report will soon be available on the KNCHR website: www.knchr.org
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