ODM to support 'Ocampo Six'

ODM deputy party leader Musalia Mudavadi (right) during a press conference after a National Executive Council meeting at the party headquarters in Nairobi, December 16t 2010. The party registered its support to the 'Ocampo Six'. He is flanked by Hassan Joho. STEPHEN MUDIARI

The Orange Democratic Movement will stand by its chairman Henry Kosgey and the other five people named as the suspected masterminds of the 2007/2008 post election violence.

A joint national executive council and parliamentary group meeting of the party Thursday resolved to support the six only a day after Chief prosecutor of the International Court Luis Moreno-Ocampo made public his intention to charge the suspects.

Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi, who read the statement at the end of the meeting also appealed for calm and unity “on the face of this new challenge".

Mr Kosgey is the ODM national chairman while William Ruto was also elected on the party ticket even though a fall-out with party leader Raila Odinga has limited his participation in the affairs of the party.

“ODM…wishes to express its solidarity with all the six persons named by the Prosecutor in the belief that each and every one of them is entitled to the secure protection of the law including the right to fair hearing,” Mr Mudavadi said at the party’s Orange House headquarters.

“The ODM party shall in particular stand firm with its members mentioned in the Ocampo list of six and give them moral support during the process,” he added.

The others named by the prosecutor on Wednesday are Kass FM radio journalist Joshua arap Sang, deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, head of civil service Francis Muthaura and former police commissioner Hussein Ali.

The six face charges of murder, forced evictions, rape, torture and persecution of civilians based on their political affiliation.

The party, Mr Mudavadi explained, hopes Mr Moreno-Ocampo and the Pre-Trial Judges will consider the circumstances that triggered the post election violence.

He also emphasised that the suspects must be given a fair hearing by the ICC.

“As we seek justice for the victims of post-election violence, we must not visit injustice on the innocent.”

The party also reiterated the need to resolve the outstanding issues that may have led to the violence as spelt out in Agenda Four.

Before the disputed 2007 General Election, Mr Mudavadi stated, there were recurrent conflicts and cycles of violence that pointed to deep-seated and unresolved problems that now have to be resolved.

“Kenya as a sovereign nation under the framework of the new constitution must address these problems and Kenya alone has the comprehensive solutions to them,” he said.

Mr Kosgey and Mr Odinga did not attend the meeting that was convened to state the party position after Mr Moreno-Ocampo submitted applications seeking the Pre-Trial Chamber judges to issue summonses on the six.

However, the party defended Mr Kosgey’s absence from the meeting stating that he needed time to come to terms with the events as they unfold.

On whether Mr Moreno-Ocampo was fair in naming the suspects, Mr Mudavadi responded: “We all ought to recognize the fact that nobody knew who was going to be in the Ocampo list until yesterday (Wednesday) when he read them out. Those asking for other people to be included are the ones who should be ashamed.”