Survivors oppose mediation efforts
Written By: Lempaa Suyianka
KBC Kenya Broadcasting Corporation
Posted: Mon, Jan 28, 2008
Victims of post election violence were in court on Monday opposing the ongoing international mediation efforts between the government and the Orange Democratic Movement.
The survivors of the Kenya Assemblies of God Church in Eldoret where several people were burnt to death told the court that it is the only institution with a mandate to resolve election disputes.
The victims through lawyer Kibe Mungai accused the government of abdicating its responsibility by rewarding people who have committed serious crimes against humanity.
They told the court that the Kofi Annan led mediation effort has no legal framework and would only serve to aggravate the matter.
The victims accompanied by the children who escaped the church inferno told the court that a culture of impunity will be encouraged by the mediation.
Meanwhile, Garsen Member of Parliament Danson Mungatana on Monday filed a notice of appointment of a lawyer to fight an election petition against him.
Mungatana filed the notice of appointment of Cecil Miller as his advocate in the petition filed against him by ODM loser Hussein Dado in the December 27 general election.
Moments after filing the notice Mungatana challenged ODM to withdraw all eighteen petitions it has filed in court accusing the party of double standards.
He said it was doublespeak for ODM to accuse the judiciary of being partisan and thus would not be fair if the party filed a petition against the presidential election and yet move to the same courts to contest parliamentary and civic elections.
Meanwhile, former internal security minister and Julius Sunkuli has opposed an application by Kaddu candidate Johana Ngeno who wants the ECK to be compelled to declare him the MP for the area.
Sunkuli told Justice Joseph Nyamu that Ngeno had indicted him with criminal offences in the application saying that the court had no capacity to hear that case. Justice Nyamu fixed the hearing of the case for February 4.
Posted on www.ogiek.org on April 5, 2013