Raila wants action on past ills

Prime Minister Raila Odinga has warned those who have committed historical injustices that they will not be forgiven unless they confess their ills.

Mr Odinga added that the Truth Justice and Reconciliation process will not be used to bury past injustices, such as political assassinations.

Mr Odinga said the killers of former Foreign Affairs minister Robert Ouko, Pio Gama Pinto, J M Kariuki, Tom Mboya and the Nyayo chamber torturers during former President Moi’s regime will not be forgiven  just because Kenyans are seeking reconciliation.

“They will not be forgiven unless they confessed publicly about their actions. Kenyans will not accept reconciliation without justice,” Mr Odinga told a fund raising meeting for the construction of the late Robert Ouko Memorial Library at Inter Continental Hotel, Nairobi on Wednesday evening.

He replayed the sad moments Kenyans went through after the shocking news on February 13, 1990 that Dr Ouko had disappeared only for his charred remains to be found near his Koru home in Got Alila.

“Who killed Ouko and why. Those questions remain unanswered in the cases of Tom Mboya, J.M Kariuki, Pio Gama Pinto and those killed and tortured at Nyayo House. Who knows whether Dr Ouko was tortured and killed at Nyayo house,” Mr Odinga posed.

He said that impunity will no longer be tolerated and the quest for reconciliation will not be used as a rubber stamp to conceal the truth about past injustices.

Mr Odinga spoke as chairman of the TJRC chairman Mr Bethwell Kiplagat, who is the patron of the Ouko memorial community library, listened attentively.

Mr Kiplagat was the Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary when Dr Ouko was killed.

Lands minister James Orengo said truth and reconciliation was not enough without justice and commended the former minister’s widow Mrs Christabel Ouko for consistently calling for justice.

He said the current political events that saw former Kenya Anti Corruption Commission director Justice Aaron Ringera to resign coupled with the International Criminal Court prosecutor Moreno Ocampo talking tough on Kenya meant that the era of impunity was over.

Muhoroni MP Prof Ayiecho Olweny, in whose constituency the library will be built, urged authors to publish a book that captured Dr Ouko’s intellectual prowess including his speeches and contributions to national development.

“Building a library without a book to immortalise the late Ouko will not take the dreams of his life outside my constituency. I ask authors to write something inspiring about his life and times,” Prof Olweny said.

Mrs Ouko pledged to talk about the life and times of her husband next year when commemorating his death at their Koru home.

The fundraising, sponsored by the family, friends and corporate companies including the Nation Media Group, helped to raise Sh9 million.

NMG Chief Executive Officer Mr Linus Gitahi and Editorial Director Mr Joseph Odindo pledged to give the library complimentary copies of the Nation Newspapers including Taifa Leo every day for one year.

The company also donated Sh100,000 towards the project.

Mr Odinga gave Sh500,000, Ouko family Sh3 million, Koru community Sh1.5 million, former Minister Simeon Nyachae Sh300,000, Mr Orengo and family Sh100,000 and Mr Kiplagat Sh100,000.

Ministers Charity Ngilu, Franklin Bett, Paul Otuoma gave Sh20,000 each. Assistant Minister David Musila gave Sh 50,000, MP Adan Duale Sh20,000 and businessman James Onyango K’Oyoo Sh100,000.