POLICE ON THE SPOT

Security officers were on the spot Wednesday over possible involvement in the Sunday grenade attack at Nairobi’s Uhuru Park.

MPs demanded in Parliament that security officers and some religious leaders be investigated over the attack, which killed six people and injured 131 others.

Some also called for the arrest of officers found to have been complacent during the events leading to the attack and after.

The MPs also linked the grenade attack to the insertion of the two words ‘national security’ in the proposed constitution. They accused the government of laxity even as it gave the toughest and most comprehensive statement so far on the issue.

Internal Security minister George Saitoti said: “The rallies will continue. We cannot succumb to that blackmail. We’ll beef up security, surveillance, and intelligence during the time of rallies and thereafter.”

He said investigations will be impartial and will not spare anyone including the country’s security organs.

The minister was also very firm that the government will deal ruthlessly with hate-mongers including MPs, ministers and even religious leaders.

“The people who’ve made inciting utterances are being handled by law enforcement agencies as individuals and there’s no discrimination whatsoever,” Prof Saitoti said.

Some MPs had sought to know what the government had intended to do with church leaders who are calling meetings and making inciting and divisive political utterances.

But while the minister said he’d seek dialogue with the clergy and ask them to preach peace, he said it will be difficult to stop them from debating the Constitution.

“Some of the issues which we are debating are exactly the issues which the clergy feel strongly about…we cannot muzzle people from expressing their views, but they must do so in a responsible manner,” the minister told Parliament.

Perhaps aware of the government’s tendency to initiate investigations to quell public anger, MPs called for an open investigation that would be made public and the report tabled in Parliament.

Timeline

The investigation on the ‘national security’ issue was on-going, said Prof Saitoti.

“It was done in an awkward way and that awkwardness raises some kind of worry,” he said. The MPs insisted that the minister makes public the timeline within which the investigations will be concluded.

The MPs talked of a “pattern” in the way some proponents of ‘No’ vote kept on pushing for the suspension of the process.

There was also concern over reported cases of leaflets in parts of Rift Valley threatening some communities of violence and evictions.

Prof Saitoti said the police had been instructed to clamp down on the perpetrators of such crimes all over the country.

The National Cohesion and Integration Commission was also accused of being used by the government to intimidate those opposed to the proposed constitution.

“Is the integration commission responding to the direction of the ‘Yes’ team?” asked Dr Julius Kones (Konoin, ODM) one of the MPs who got saved at the Uhuru Park meeting, which he described as a “powerful crusade.”

But Prof Saitoti said the NCIC was an independent body and totally impartial adding that even Prime Minister Raila Odinga had appeared before it.

The question among MPs was why the meeting went beyond 6.00 p.m. as per the licence.

“Why didn’t the police ensure that the licence conditions are adhered to?” asked Mr Gitobu Imanyara (Imenti Central, CCU).

“Was it meant to give criminals a chance to strike Kenyans in the dark?”

There was also a query on why the government was condoning campaigns while flouting the law that puts the official campaign period from July 12.

Ms Martha Karua (Gichugu, Narc Kenya) said the role of intelligence officers in the whole thing needed to be investigated.

“These explosives are not bought in shops,” said Ms Karua.

On hate-mongers, she said: “It doesn’t matter from which side of the divide one is from. Why are some being handled with kid gloves while others are sleeping in (police) cells.”

Dr Boni Khalwale (Ikolomani, New Ford Kenya) added: “Are you convinced that the security organs were not involved in the Uhuru Park event …and if not, are you convinced that the government can investigate itself?”

Preach peace

Nominated MP Millie Odhiambo (ODM) said something had to be done to stop some religious leaders from raining curses on those supporting the proposed law.

Separately, Women MPs appealed to leaders on both the ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ camp to lead by example by preaching peace and reconciliation in the referendum campaigns. They said they were concerned by the insensitivity shown by leaders who seem to be unaware of the dangers their reckless utterances will cost the nation.

The women drawn from both sides of the divide asked the government to rein in all hate-mongers irrespective of whatever position they occupy and whatever side they support.

“So far the press briefings we’re seeing by leaders are either for ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ teams, but we’ve come together to agitate against violence and preach peace,” said assistant minister Cecily Mbarire, the Runyenjes MP.

The MPs announced plans to send their messages of peace to all parts of the country through a civic education programme.

Present were: Amina Abdalla, Millie Odhiambo, Naomi Shaban, Elizabeth Ongoro, Beatrice Kones, Sophia Abdi Noor, Shakila Abdalla, Rachel Shebesh and Mbarire.