I am perplexed about a number of things happening in my homeland, the great nation of Kenya. I am clear about the need for lasting peace and stability in this country that I personally love so much. But I am also clear about the need for justice; justice for both the perpetrators, perpetuators and the victims of the 2007/2008 post election violence in Kenya. It is sad that hundreds of the 600,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) still remain in pathetic camps living hopeless and desperate lives; not to mention the more than a thousand people who were brutally killed or maimed.
As I write this, there is a big so-called ‘prayer meeting’ to welcome the ‘Ocampo six’, the six suspects believed to bear the greatest responsibility for the crimes committed during the 2007/2008 post-election violence. They are returning from The Hague, in the Netherlands where they faced the International Criminal Court (ICC). Ocampo is the chief prosecutor of the ICC. The suspects, men of great influence in the country, include Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, head of civil service Francis Muthaura, former police chief Hussein Ali, Eldoret North MP (and sacked education minister) William Ruto, the MP for Tinderet and former industrialisation minister Henry Kosgey, and a local radio presenter (Kass FM) Joshua Sang.
I think that as a nation we are failing terribly on how to separate legal process from the politics of this case. This ‘Hague’ thing is becoming so political. The government of Kenya has submitted to the ICC that that the case is inadmissible before the ICC court and that the men should be tried back home. I don’t trust the government’s motivation and intentions for wanting to get the case handled back in Kenya. Way back, the government was given a chance to create a local tribunal. But because of the politics involved, they clearly and categorically opted for The Hague. Why are they changing their minds now? Whose interests are they acting for?
If the six suspects are innocent, then there is no need for them or any of their supporters to worry about anything. One thing is as certain as death: a local tribunal will be marred by corruption and impunity. Yes, a local tribunal is a good idea, but this should be for handling the small fish! For the big fish, The Hague remains a better option!
It saddens my heart every time I hear ordinary Kenyans talking about how going to The Hague means selling away our sovereignty. This is the message the politicians have been working hard to drum into people’s heads. But I challenge this thinking. We are not giving away our sovereignty by seeking for justice at the ICC, we are strengthening our independence and creating a culture of transparency, responsibility and accountability.
Many Kenyans are blindly being brainwashed by greedy and selfish politicians who don’t care for one second about the public interest. They don’t care if we have food, education, a roof over our head, clothes to cover our nakedness or proper medical care! All they care about is about themselves....and they are using us, as puppets, to fulfil their personal interest. We, the citizens, are the majority and have a duty to keep our leaders accountable and responsible. With all due respect, we should challenge their thinking and actions! Conforming to their crooked ideas is, and should remain, a crime if we want to take our country further on the road to transformation.
What sadden me most are the MPs who organized the prayer meeting /home coming party which portrays the six as heroes, and the 42 Members of Parliament who accompanied the six suspects to the ICC. Surely they could have done better things with the thousands of dollars they spent on that trip - like relocating the IDP’s, or supporting peace and reconciliation programmes running in the country or even paying the hospital bills for the thousands who cannot afford to pay them! My greatest question to these MPs: what message are they passing to the country and to the victims of the post-election violence? Definitely, they are not telling the victims that they are sorry about the pain they have gone through, nor are they telling them that they care for them and will protect their rights and try to meet their needs! Instead, the message they are sending is a disturbing one; we don’t care about you... all we care about is ourselves!
What I say to my fellow Kenyans is: let us leave Ocampo alone! Let him do his job. If the suspects are innocent, they will be set free. If they are found guilty, the ICC will deal with them and this will serve as a lesson to all of us. What we need most in this whole process is peace and a sense of maturity. Let’s not fall into the trap of some of our leaders who are misleading the country and miring it in impunity and greed. Kenya is a regional power house. If Kenya can get its act right, it can set an example to the rest of Africa.
Ann Njeri Ndiangui holds a diploma in Information Technology. She has been working with Initiatives of Change in Kenya and beyond for the last three years in the area of Peace and Reconciliation, Creative Leadership Programmes (for young people) and Leadership and Governance programmes. In March 2011 she was awarded the International Women's Day Outstanding Service Award.
NOTE: Individuals of many cultures, nationalities, religions, and beliefs are actively involved with Initiatives of Change. These commentaries represent the views of the writer and not necessarily those of Initiatives of Change as a whole.