UN probe indicts Kenya on police killings

• Prof Philip Alston has called for AG Amos Wako and Major General Hussein Ali to step aside to facilitate investigations into the killings.

• Report calls for across the board vetting of current Police Force.

A United Nations investigator has recommended the sacking of Kenya’s Attorney General and the Police Commissioner over extra judicial killings.

Prof Philip Alston has called for AG Amos Wako and police boss Major General Hussein Ali to step aside to facilitate investigations into the killings.

He blamed the police for the widespread killings of youths, believed to belong to the outlawed Mungiki sect and scores of Kenyans at the height of post election violence.

At least 1,133 people were killed during violence that was triggered by a disputed presidential election in 2007.

A further 350,000 were rendered homeless after the opposition contested President Kibaki’s victory saying he had rigged the poll.

His report, released on Wednesday at the UN offices in Gigiri, Nairobi, gave various recommendations, among them the sackings of Wako and Ali.

Others are: That President Kibaki publically acknowledges the widespread extra judicial killings and the need for sweeping reforms in the police sector.

-The creation of an independent civilian police oversight body to probe the killings.

-Provision of clear orders to all members of security forces that under no circumstances will unlawful killings by law enforcement agencies be tolerated.

-All police killings be recorded and centralised at police headquarters in Nairobi.

-Government of Kenya should establish a constitutionally entrenched Special Tribunal as recommended by the Waki Commission.

Prof Alston said formation of a local tribunal is indispensable if justice is to be done "and if appropriate lessons are to be learned before the next elections."

"An international tribunal cannot possibly achieve justice on a broad scale in this regard," he said.

In the meantime, Prof Alston recommended that ICC prosecutors should take over the cases.

"The Prosecutor of the ICC (Moreno Ocampo) should immediately undertake, of his own volition, an investigation into the commission of crimes against humanity by certain individuals in the aftermath of 2007 elections."

-Across the board vetting of current Police Force

-The government should also set up an independent commission for Mt Elgon, modelled on Waki, to investigate human rights abuses from 2005 to 2008.

In the course of his ten-day visit, the UN Special Rapporteur visited Nairobi, Central, Rift Valley, Western and Nyanza Provinces.