ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda speaks at a past news conference. A
redacted brief by the ICC prosecutor has accused Kenyan senior
politicians and officials in President Mwai Kibaki’s government of using
security agents and the Mungiki to cause violence during the 2007/2008
post-election violence. PHOTO | FILE
In Summary
Nairobi. A redacted brief by ICC prosecutor
Fatou Bensouda has accused Kenyan senior politicians and officials in
President Mwai Kibaki’s government of using security agents and the
Mungiki to cause violence during the 2007/2008 post-election violence.
The report names Mr Uhuru Kenyatta, who was then
supporting President Kibaki’s re-election, of having funded Mungiki and
pro-PNU youths to attack perceived ODM supporters in Naivasha and
Nakuru.
It alleges that Mr Kenyatta gave the youths the
green light to do their worst, which the youths interpreted to mean they
could kill and rape.
Ms Bensouda alleges in the 69- page report
released last night that Mr Kenyatta entered into an alliance with top
leaders of the Mungiki, a feared criminal organisation, paying them
large sums of money and promising them protection to avenge earlier
attacks against perceived PNU supporters.
When the presidential election results declaring
President Kibaki winner were announced in December 2007, the prosecution
alleges that the accused, who include Mr Kenyatta and former head of
public service Francis Muthaura, among others, formulated a plan to
carry out retaliatory attacks against perceived ODM supporters. This led
to the killings, forcible circumcision and rape of some of the
perceived ODM supporters. “This was to force them to abandon their
attempts to overturn the announced election results,” says Ms Bensouda.
The identities of some of the victims have been hidden in the heavily redacted report.
The report focuses on the attacks carried out in
Naivasha and Nakuru over five days in January. It names politicians from
Naivasha, including Mr John Mututho, and from Nakuru, including Mr
Manyara, as some of those who were involved in planning or executing the
attacks by providing money, vehicles and other forms of support to the
armed youths ferried to those areas. According to the report, some of
the youths were ferried in government vehicles and were issued with guns
and camouflage uniforms, besides being paid to carry out the attacks.
(NMG)
The report alleges that Mr Kenyatta’s ties with
the Mungiki, which started in 2000, enabled him to engage the leaders of
the Mungiki to stage the attacks which also included evictions and
destruction of property.
USED MUNGIKI
The report also says the government won over the
Mungiki with promises to end the extra-judicial killings targeting its
members, cash payments and protection from the police. According to Ms
Bensouda, President Kibaki had directed Mr Francis Muthaura, his head of
the Public Service and Secretary to the Cabinet, to handle complaints
from Mungiki leaders.
An agent of the then National Security and
Intelligent Service, identified as Geoffrey Machira, was appointed as
the contact point between the Mungiki and Mr Muthaura. Ms Bensouda says
he was used to reach out to the Mungiki leaders.
The report says planning meetings were held at
State House from as early as November, in which the Mungiki were assured
of top level government support, with several politicians such as Mr
Mututho, former Juja MP George Thuo, and the wife of former Internal
Security minister John Michuki, said to have given out money to Mungiki
leaders to win their support and get them to mobilise youths for
attacks.
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