Tana, Truth reports set for release, says Githu, President Kenyatta,

By CAROLINE WAFULA cwafula@ke.nationmedia.com in Geneva, May 17  2013  

 

In Summary

• In a presentation to the Committee Against Torture, Prof Muigai, who is heading the government delegation in Geneva, said the commission which investigated the Tana clashes were formed to examine crucial issues.
• The truth commission was expected to submit the report to the President two weeks ago failing to meet the constitutional deadline of submitting the report. Parliament had given the team up to May 5 to submit the report.

Two crucial reports on violence and human rights will be released in two weeks, the Attorney-General has said.

Speaking in Geneva Friday, Prof Githu Muigai said the Tana Delta clashes and the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission reports would be handed over to President Kenyatta in less than two weeks.

The Tana clashes left close to 200 people dead.

Speaking at the 50th session of the United Nations Committee Against Torture, Prof Muigai said the two commissions could not submit the reports to the President within the deadline because Kenya was in transition.

“The report was prepared and it is ready, we were in a transition and the former President could not receive it because he was leaving office and we had to wait for the new Head of State,” he said, in reference to the truth and justice report.

In a presentation to the Committee Against Torture, Prof Muigai, who is heading the government delegation in Geneva, said the commission which investigated the Tana clashes were formed to examine crucial issues.

He said that witnesses who appeared before the commissions spoke freely without coercion or intimidation.

“The reports are ready and in less than 14 days they will be handed to the President together with all the recommendations,” the AG said.

The truth commission was expected to submit the report to the President two weeks ago failing to meet the constitutional deadline of submitting the report. Parliament had given the team up to May 5 to submit the report.

The AG said the government took the Tana River clashes seriously and that high level government delegations made personal visits to the region.

“What is happening in Tana River is tragic, we went there and we spent time with the affected people and talked with the community there,” he said.

He said he advised formation of the judicial commission that investigated the violence for six months before compiling a report.