NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 24 – Was it a goof,or was the Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti’s statement misconstrued?
In a fiery address on Monday, the country’s top detective was categorical that he was going for those who committed atrocities during the Post-Election Violence in 2007-2008, that claimed more than 1,100 lives and left 600,000 others internally displaced.
After a night of political uproar and condemnation, the DCI on Tuesday issued a statement saying Kenyans were being “misled by those taking my statements out of context alluding that the DCI is revisiting PEV cases.”
This is after at least 118 people recorded statements with detectives at the DCI headquarters, among them 70 cases of homicide.
Others, the DCI said, included cases of forceful displacement that have for the past 13 years not addressed.
“Soon, you will see the outcome of today’s actions,” DCI boss said while hinting the ‘action’ will be in the near future.
But in his Tuesday’s statement, the DCI said the directorate does not intend to reopen completed cases that were investigated and closed.
The latest move, he said was in “acknowledgment of concerns raised by Kenyans, to assure the public of the commitment of the DCI to investigate all reported threats to security and to sensitize the public on the need for peaceful co-existence.”
He said the new probe will not necessarily end in court, as it has been the case with many other investigations in the past.
“Unbeknown to the public, many cases investigated by the DCI do not result in arrests. Indeed, in many such cases, we pacify communities by educating them on the rule of law and consequences of breaching the country’s legal statutes,” reads a section of his statement.
He asserted that the directorate is open to all Kenyans and work without favoritism- and it will investigate all reported threats.
Kinoti revealed that in mid-September, he had received a complaint of possible profiling of a certain ethnic group in a similar trend like it happened 13 years ago.
“Our work is not only to collect bodies…we will be proactive and not reactionary this time round,” the DCI said, during an address to the dozens of victims, who included those from KAG Kiambaa church.
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Six Kenyans among them President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto faced various offenses against humanity; the cases were dropped.
DCI Kinoti sentiments resulted in a political tsunami, with a section of politicians questioning the timing of his move.
“One would honestly sympathize with DCI Kinoti. The political circus and shenanigans he’s taken through by these political brokers and conmen, from Fight against Corruption to now an attempt to drive ethnic animosity in the Rift to rescue BBI?Come on! A little intelligence,” vocal pro-Deputy President legislator Kimani Ichung’wa said in a tweet.
Nakuru Senator Susan Kihika, also in a Tweet said, “When U see their Hatchet Man @DCI_Kenya trying to raise tensions and incite communities against each other U know they R desperate! Hope they don’t KILL people, BURN houses to justify Kinoti’s statement Kenyans ‘d resist temptation to engage in VIOLENCE and continue living in PEACE.”
Nakuru was one of the hard-hit regions in the country and interestingly, majority of those who recorded statements on Monday hails from there.
Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot accused the DCI of trying to “weave his unending political tales using victims of 2007 PEV. He cannot claim to have the capacity to do a better job than KNHRC and Waki. GOK should activate those reports if they are genuine. Otherwise, this is the usual kieleweke desperation.”
On Tuesday, the Deputy President termed his Monday’s sentiments as “provocative incitement to ethnic hate/division intended by the resurrection of PEV is an evil attempt to resuscitate the tribe project destroyed by the hustler movements’ realisation that poverty and unemployment deliberately bred by poor leadership is our problem not our tribes.”
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