EU pushes for witness protection

• State told to set up independent agency to protect those willing to testify

The European Union is pushing the government to enact laws to protect witnesses willing to testify against the masterminds of the post-election violence.

And Attorney General Amos Wako told representatives of the EU countries who paid him a courtesy call that a Bill agreed on by the Cabinet to strengthen the Witness Protection Act would be taken to Parliament when the House resumes.

In an interview with the Nation on Tuesday, European Union head of delegation to Kenya Eric Van Der Linden said they met Mr Wako on Monday and that he assured them that the law would be enacted in full if passed by Parliament.

“We told him it is important for the future Witness Protection Agency to be independent,” Mr Linden said.

Last week, the Cabinet was in agreement over the formation of a powerful witness protection agency following reports that some of the people set to testify against the ringleaders of ethnic violence at The Hague were being intimidated.

Human rights groups have said that dozens of witnesses have reported being harassed.

International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo wrote to the government last month expressing concern over the protection of key witnesses of the violence.

A team from the ICC has also been in Kenya to push for a bolstered protection programme and to hold explanatory meetings on the court’s process.

On Tuesday, Mr Linden termed as good news the assurance by the AG that the changes would be enacted into law.

However, Mr Linden said the government’s commitment to protect the witnesses would be tested by the financial resources and the independence that would be given to the proposed agency.

The official said various EU countries had received complaints of harassment of potential witnesses of the chaos that left more than 1,300 people dead and 600,000 uprooted from their homes.

The official said he was happy that the AG recognised the pitfalls in the current system and its lack of credibility.

He said that although it was the duty of Kenyan authorities to protect witnesses, the EU was ready to assist.