Raila promises to introduce Truth Commission when Elected ODM Presidential candidate Raila Odinga has promised that he will establish a Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC), should his party win the next General
elections. His address to a congregation at the Emmanuel Africa Gospel Church in Kericho on Sunday has drawn reactions from political leaders. Modelled on the South African Commission which was established following the scrapping of apartheid, , the TJRC is expected to help heal the nation after 24 years of repressive one-party rule under retired president Daniel arap Moi. At the inception of the current Government, the idea of establishing a Truth Commission was briefly broached but dropped soon after as people who were perceived as corrupt were retained in sensitive government positions. The current president, Mwai Kibaki came to power in 2002 with a promise to end corruption, something the Opposition claims he has not done. Raila walked out of the ruling National Rainbow Coalition (NARC) in 2003 in protest at what he saw as the government’s lack of commitment to fight corruption. He was a former ally of the incumbent president during the last General Elections that ended KANU’S rule since independence in 1963. Many also believe that Raila was unhappy with the ‘kitchen Cabinet’, Kibaki’s old friends who were not involved in the country’s ‘second liberation’ from Kanu rule, and who now appear to surround the President and increasingly influence government decisions. On Sunday Raila said his economic plans for the country would make Kibaki’s perceived success look like “a drop in the ocean”. It is largely believed that Kenya has experienced economic development under Kibaki. But Raila promised to repair the infrastructure improve the level of education, by building roads and classrooms and employing teachers. In his first public address on Saturday since his return from a visit to the US, Raila had said his government would pursue those who stole public funds and severely deal with defaulters. He scoffed at retired president Moi’s recent surprising support for the incumbent’s re-election as a result of a promise by Government not to go after Moi’s family funds believed to be stacked in foreign bank accounts. Moi has attacked Raila’s plans for a TJRC as unworkable and a danger to the country’s peace. Moi’s support for Kibaki comes at a time when the Leader of Official Opposition, Uhuru Kenyatta has abdicated his role and voiced support for the incumbent, in what many believe is a pact for Kibaki to back Uhuru for the presidency in the 2012 elections. Uhuru is son to the Founding Father Jomo Kenyatta who ruled the country until his death in 1978, when he was succeeded by Moi. Uhuru comes from the same community as Kibaki and it would appears he fears being branded traitor and losing his Gatundu south seat if he opposes the President in the forthcoming elections. In 2005, Raila and his erstwhile allies Uhuru and Kalonzo Musyoka, and strangely enough, Moi, under the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), meted a sounding defeat to the government in a referendum that rejected the adoption of a Constitution draft fronted by the Government. The referendum has been both interpreted as a backlash at the Central Province Kikuyu community, who have been perceived by the rest of the country as conniving to tighten their grip on power, and those who benefited from past corrupt deals in the former government. Raila’s ally William Ruto, who hails from Moi’s Kalenjin community and a former ally of his, has supported the formation of a TJRC. But Raila’s crusade against corruption is bound to raise numerous questions; among them how clean some of his allies can claim to be. While he is largely acclaimed as clean from corruption, many of his allies’ workings under the Kanu government are suspect. His running mate, Musalia Mudavadi worked as Moi’s Vice President just before the last General Elections. The recent declaration of support by former Moi close ally Cyrus Jirongo, while promising to deliver the 1.6 million votes from Western Province will be seen as a moral dent on Raila’s bid for the presidency. Kalonzo, who until recently was an ally to Raila and now leader of rival ODM-Kenya, served as Foreign Minister under Moi, and has attacked Raila’s anti-corruption crusade. Kalonzo has dismissed ODM as a club of corrupt individuals. He warned that a Truth and Reconciliation would plunge the country’s different ethnic groups into greater disharmony. Recently MPs passed a motion in Parliament to limit investigations into past corruption cases to those committed after January 9, 2003 when members Ninth Parliament were sworn into the House, a move that has been seen as a promise for amnesty in exchange for votes in the forthcoming elections which must be held in the next three months according to the Constitution. The MPs also handed themselves 1.5 million shillings each take-home at the end of their tenure this coming December, despite public outcry.
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