Catholic Information Service for Africa (Nairobi)
31 October 2008
Nairobi — It turns out the Commission of Inquiry into the Post-Election-Violence was not meant to seek justice for the victims of Independent Kenya's worst political chaos, but was a cynical ruse by the government to hoodwink the public.
In the two weeks since the release of the so-called Waki Report on October 17, the nation's politicians have closed ranks to reject the document that indicted some of them for masterminding the chaos.
Last week, President Mwai Kibaki gave a lukewarm welcome to the report which implicated State House and senior politicians serving in the current government. The same week, the government spokesman,Alfred Mutua, criticized sections of the report. And now, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), headed by Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Kibaki's coalition partner, has trashed the report in its entirety.
On Thursday, an ODM parliamentary group meeting chaired by Prime Minister Odinga dismissed the Waki Report as containing "incurable errors." Odinga had previously supported the implementation of the report, causing a split within the ODM.
With the government's rejection of the report, it seems certain a special tribunal to try the indicted persons will not be set up, as recommended by the Waki Commission.
A secret dossier containing the names of indicted cabinet ministers and Members of Parliament is in the custody of former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan. If the tribunal is not set up, the dossier will be sent to the International Criminal Court at The Hague.
But ODM said it will resist any attempts to surrender Kenyans for trial outside the country.
Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka also rubbished the report, saying its implementation would take the country backwards.
Only the Anglican Church has supported implementation of the Waki Report. The Catholic Church is said to be still studying the document.
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