Today witnessed the last efforts to have the culture of impunity in Kenya come to an end. The event hosted at Serena by the Law Society of Kenya and Members of Parliament led by Hon Gitobu Imanyara of Imenti Central. ‘Ending impunity in Kenya’ was the theme and a website http://www.endimpunityinkenya.org was launched.
The website, developed by Newsbreak Media Ltd has an online voting system that MPs will use. They have each a special code to ensure authenticity. Kenyans also have a chance to post their comments. Speaking during the launch Imanyara said that Kenyans will be able to see what stance their MP has taken on the Special Tribunal Bill.
“We want to make the process as interactive as possible,” Mr. Imanyara said at the launch organized by the Law Society of Kenya and the International Commission of Jurists.
Other MPs who attended the launch included: Mithika Linturi, Charles Onyancha, Alango Aluoch, Joseph Nkaissery, David Eseli, Yusuf Chanzu, Chachu Ganya, Martin Ogindo and Silas Muriuki.
Also in attendance were former MP Paul Muite, civil society leaders Harun Ndumbi and Ndungu Wainaina and representatives from LSK, ICJ and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.
The MPs who spoke voiced their support for the bill and vowed to lobby their colleagues to raise the required two-thirds majority, the Daily Nation reports.
On July 30, only days before this week's visit of U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton to Kenya, the first stop on her 7-country Africa trip, the Kenyan Cabinet decided to reject special prosecution of those responsible for post-election violence in 2007 and 2008, whether under a domestic special tribunal or by the International Criminal Court (ICC), to which the case has been referred.
Kenyan human rights advocates have been scathing in their critique of the Cabinet decision, and will be closely parsing the signals from the Clinton visit. Discussions on the Special Tribunal Bill will continue through out the week. Once tabled in Parliament, the bill will have its verdict in 14 days time.
