News
ODM defies Raila and rejects Waki report
Some ODM leaders led by Prime Minister Raila Odinga (centre) after a previous meeting. Photo/HEZRON NJOROGE
Posted Thursday, October 30 2008 at 21:47
ODM on Thursday rejected the Waki report on post-election violence as its leaders said they would resist attempts to charge any of the those named in a secret list of suspected perpetrators.
Several Cabinet ministers criticised Prime Minister Raila Odinga over his stand that the Waki report be implemented in full.
Among those who took on the PM were ministers Charity Ngilu, Wycliffe Oparanya, Dalmas Otieno and Fred Gumo.
The list, with the names of six Cabinet ministers and five MPs, was handed over to chief mediator Kofi Annan.
It is to be forwarded to the International Criminal Court for the suspects to be tried at the Hague if the Government fails to set up a local tribunal by March 1.
PNU leaders are expected to issue an official statement on the report on Friday.
Stormy meeting
On Thursday, 75 ODM MPs — among them Mr Odinga and 11 Cabinet ministers — emerged from a four-hour stormy meeting and declared that the report contained “incurable errors”. They also said that it contradicted the Constitution.
Trouble began when Kipkelion MP Julius Kones said that all ODM leaders and MPs should be included in the list of suspects since they called for mass action, which led to the post-election chaos.
The post-election chaos, sparked by the announcement of disputed presidential election results on December 30, last year, left over 1,200 people dead and 300,000 displaced.
Mrs Ngilu said that Mr Odinga and President Kibaki should top the list of suspects because the rest were acting on their behalf.
However, Mr Odinga warned that the international community was watching Kenya to see whether it would implement the report.
And a group of NGO leaders asked the international community to step in to ensure that the report is implemented. They criticised ODM for rejecting it.
But in a strongly worded statement delivered at Parliament Buildings, the ODM MPs said: “ODM has resolved to reject the Waki report.”
The party leaders argued that the Waki report contained “fundamental flaws” and accused the commission of overstepping its the mandate by naming the suspects.
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Submitted by Wanjiku98Posted November 01, 2008 05:52 PM
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Submitted by gathoni
I think ODM takes this stand because the Waki report contains the names of some guilty people but leaves out some. No offence against the PM, but he also talked about enemy tribes in campaigns. All leaders should be better.
Posted November 01, 2008 03:11 PM -
Submitted by deepereyes
It's over for ODM. I pity Mr. Raila... some newspaper columnists have been saying the poor man is caged and indeed he is his cage is called rift valley. Mutahi Ngunyi said it in otherwords. It was about Mau Forest now it's about ODM MPs fearing a party fallout. I wonder. Our MPs now regard us Kenyans as fools. If they championed anarchy in Kenya...its payback time - be they ODM, ODM-K or PNU.
Posted November 01, 2008 03:21 AM -
Submitted by nyugutoa
Shame! Shame! Shame! Shame on these men and woman in dark suits paid for by some of my fellow departed Kenyans (RIP). This is the kind of hooliganism we CANNOT allow to ruin our country….. WaKenya its time for mass action to demand the full implementation of the Waki Report, enough is enough of these hooligans, the time for action is now!!
Posted October 31, 2008 08:55 PM -
Submitted by kj474
Come November 6th, when the votes are cast in the US, I expect new President Obama to put pressure on these people who refer to themselves as leaders in Kenya. They have shown they couldn't care less about what the Kenyan people think. Perhaps they will listen to their golden child in the US.
Posted October 31, 2008 07:45 PM
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Ngilu the only woman in the above line up. Championing the cause of radical male politicians. I thought Ngilu should be championing the cause of the innocent women and children who were raped and tortured.