ANNAN SAYS POLITICIANS WHO PLANNED CHAOS IN KENYA'S POST ELECTION VIOLENCE MUST NOT GET AWAY WITH IT

THE STANDARD
By Isaiah Lucheli

Chief Mediator Kofi Annan turned up the pressure for the need to try chief suspects of the post-election violence.

Annan, who was giving his parting speech at the end of six-day visit in Nairobi Tuesday said the arrest and prosecution of powerful politicians suspected to have funded and fanned post-election violence by the International Criminal Court would not frustrate reforms.

His remarks are in tandem with those of ICC’s Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo who has said he would like to make Kenya and example of how end impunity. "We should encourage the law to take its course. We should think about the victims of the violence; they are craving justice. A nation does not collapse because of one man or several men," said Annan, who was accompanied by a member of the Panel of Eminent Persons Graca Machel.

His comments reinforce the international community’s stand that efforts for reconcilliation should not be used to suppress the need to try violence suspects to end impunity.

He explained that a nation is built on three main pillars, which include security, economic and social development and respect for human rights and the rule of law.

He criticised MPs and some Cabinet ministers, accusing them of derailing peace and reconciliation efforts and attempts to prosecute perpetrators of post-election violence.

Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan (right) meets members of Kenya Private Sector Alliance at the Serena Hotel in Nairobi, Tuesday. [PHOTO: BONIFACE OKENDO/STANDARD]

Annan, a former United Nations secretary general, also expressed confidence the Grand Coalition Government would not collapse despite the wrangles dogging it, but he hit out at some ministers for flouting collective responsibility.

"Some minister sit in the Cabinet meetings and take decisions collectively, but when they move out and meet the people they talk as if they were not part of the meetings," said Annan.

He said MPs absenting themselves from Parliament had frustrated efforts to form a local tribunal that would have tried those implicated in post-election violence.

He said following the meeting with the President and the Prime Minister, he established the Government had made some progress but the pace needed to be hastened.

"The Committee of Experts has published and disseminated the Harmonised Draft Constitution and is now receiving comments from the public. We encourage all Kenyans to engage in the urgent review of this important document. Kenya needs a new constitution that is workable and effective and that can stand the test of time," he said.

He also lauded the adoption by the Parliament of the sessional paper on land reform, noting that it was a critical part of the reform agenda.

Reforms overshadowed

He said he is confident that the reform agenda would be completed by next year for the country to avoid a situation where the reform agenda is overshadowed by politics in the countdown to 2012 General Election.

Annan chaired the Panel of Eminent Persons that resolved the conflicts resulting from post-election crisis last year, leading to the formation of the Grand Coalition Government by PNU and ODM.

Annan said the report on police reforms had far reaching recommendations and appealed to the President and Raila to act on the proposals.

"We have been advised that the Government is taking action on these recommendations. We urge them to transform the Kenya Police Force into a highly professional service that will protect and serve all Kenyans fairly," he said.

On the last month’s retreat held in Mombasa led by the two principals to promote coherence and mutual trust within Government, Annan called on the political leaders to be united.

"We urge politicians to show unity of purpose to achieve objectives of the National Accord to deliver sustainable peace, stability, and justice through the rule of law and respect for human rights," said Annan.

He said the Panel of Eminent Persons welcomed the assurance from Kibaki and the Raila that they would co-operate with the ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo.

He expressed concern over the increasing ethnic divisions and lack of cohesion and failure by the Government to establish a local judicial mechanism to try perpetrators of post-election violence.

"We are gravely concerned by reports of targeted killings and continuing impunity. Kenya needs a robust witness protection system that can command the confidence of Kenyans. We hope there will also be rapid progress on critical judicial reforms," said Annan.

They were addressing journalists at the Serena Hotel, Nairobi, following the conclusion of their visit. They held meetings with Kibaki, Raila, Speaker of the National Assembly Kenneth Marende and chairman Parliamentary Select Committee on Review of the Constitution, MPs and ministers.