Rights watchdog names ministers as violence suspects

Seven cabinet ministers, three assistant ministers and seven MPs are among over 200 individuals named in a new list of alleged perpetrators and financiers of the post-election violence.

The list includes five ministers from the Rift Valley and one from Central Province.

The seventh minister is from the Coast Province.

Another politician, who served as a minister in the coalition government before his death last year, is also on the list.

The report, re-launched by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights on Friday, also names Police Commissioner Hussein Ali, former Provincial Commissioner Paul Olando, senior police officers, several chiefs and their assistants, religious leaders and former MPs.

It says a total of seventeen ministers and MPs were named by multiple witnesses as having either incited, organised or funded the post election violence that rocked the country early last year.

The report, re-launched by KNCHR chairperson Florence Simbiri-Jaoko with the title “On the brink of the precipice” alleges that the ministers and MPs either incited, organised or funded the atrocities in the North, South and Central Rift Valley, as well as Nyanza, Western, Nairobi and Coast provinces that bore the brunt of the post election violence.

The commission recommends that all those listed be investigated further to ascertain the veracity of the allegations made against them.

“The national commission is not making any conclusions that the persons mentioned here are guilty; this is presented in the effort to remain faithful to hundreds of Kenyans who provided this information which we expect that the relevant agencies will further investigate,” notes the report.

The commission notes that it tried several times to obtain a hearing from those mentioned, to no avail. “Given that this was election related violence, the Commission sent out letters to all the members of parliament, which however elicited very few responses.”