Folks,
Okay now, this is sounding a warning. I scratch my head. And something must be done and done fast.
David confronted and challenged Golliath in a truce, and he David went to fight the mighty and the most powerful who was armed to the teeth, but in his humble state, he defeated Golliath because God was with David. So, we need God to take charge in our struggle. We shall overcome. The war is not ours. It is God’s. God want to save his children from Satan’s grip and oppression. He God is in His business to set us free so LOVE should transcend all others so we can enjoy the benefit of Peace and Unity for a common purpose as we all enjoy and preserve the benefit of NATURE as was created by God.
It is up to us to get the whole thing of Tribunal Court up and running. And plus getting other ways and means to get this criminal matter on its perspective and to its fruition.
We must act now people before things fall apart. There could also be some funny games here too, arm twisting could also be possible. Do we just let this go or look for plan B ?
People, we have struggled this far, lets keep our hopes high because God is with us on this journey. God knew there were storms and thorns on the way. We have climbed so high that we cannot just give up. We have to go the rest of the journey leaning on Gods provisions. Start praying and fasting people, there are temptations here and we have to overcome. We now fear more for the witnesses especially with the kind of sudden deaths that are now taking place. There are reasons for fear. But we do not need to fear folks. God brought us this far, he will not turn against us.
I believe and I give you hope that we will find a way. Keep your hopes high and do not give up.
Cheers !
Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com
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Ocampo asks Kenyans not to expect too much
By LUCIANNE LIMO, BEAUTTAH OMANGA and VINCENT BARTOO
Those who expect the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague to solve all criminal cases related to post-election violence should start getting disappointed now.
The ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo has asked Kenyans not to raise their hopes because he will not solve all the cases pertaining to the violence two years ago that led to the death of more than 1,300.
“Don’t expect everything from me. I will only prosecute two to six cases and the rest is up to you,” was the message Ocampo had for Kenyans, Tuesday.
“If a neighbour stole my cow, the cow needs to be brought back to me. You don’t need ICC to deal with that,” he added.
The prosecutor, who said he was “saddened” after realising that the Government had not done much to resolve the problems that occurred during the 2007/2008 violence, called on leaders of the State to start mechanisms for resolving the rest of the cases.
He asked civil society groups he met Tuesday afternoon to push Parliament to establish a local tribunal. An attempt to form a local tribunal to handle post election cases was defeated when MPs voted against it.
Perhaps weighed down by expectations Kenyans have on him, the International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo ponders what to say to players in community media who he held talks with at I&M building in Nairobi Tuesday. He criticised the Government for not doing enough to address issues that led to the post-election violence. [PHOTO: MOSES OMUSULA /STANDARD]
“There are people who were raped, traumatised by the violence and others are still in the IDP camps. You don’t require ICC to help solve all your problems. I expect Kenya to do its part and do it now,” he said when he addressed journalists in Nairobi.
Want justice
He however praised Kenyans for their love of peace.
“The reason I feel Kenya is good is because no one is proud of violence. That’s unique compared to other countries I have been to. Kenyans wants justice,” he added.
The ICC chief prosecutor said it was important to deal with the cases before the 2012 general elections to prevent a recurrence of violence.
Ocampo also repeated his often-quoted promise that he would make Kenya a good example to other African countries.
He said 15 elections will be held across Africa in the next two years and Kenya will be an example on how to manage elections.
“I like to serve the people of Kenya and that is why 1 am here. It is clear we have to prevent a repeat of 2008 PEV. You have to trust me. I said I will open investigation and I did. I will so my part,” he said when he spoke to journalists yesterday.
Ocampo said he would present six cases to the judges before December.
“I will present six cases to The Hague and I believe this will prevent PEV. This will be a lesson that violence will be a ticket to The Hague and not to Cabinet,” said Ocampo.
He, however, said that the six cases he is pursuing were not the same ones that were handed to him by the Waki commission through former UN boss Kofi Annan.
“I gave the court the names of 20 people and I told them they are not my list but from the Waki commission. I gave them my list of six people whom I think they are most responsible,” he added.
The prosecutor said that for more that 25 years he has investigated people in power who have used violence in the name of protecting the people.
He said in the Kenyan case, police officers accused of killing civilians during the skirmishes were not the biggest threat but those who were giving the orders.
“The police were not a problem but the bosses who gave orders,” he said.
Speaking after he met Christian and Muslim religious leaders late in the afternoon at Hotel Intercontinental, Mr Ocampo said he asked religious authorities to use their positions to play a role in healing the country.
“Don’t rely on the ICC to bring harmony in Kenya. You have a role to play,” he said.
Bishop Philip Sulumeti of the Catholic Church who later spoke to journalists on behalf of the Christian leaders said they called on Ocampo to “punish perpetrators of the post-election violence irrespective of their position in government”.
The Vice Chairman of the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (Supkem) Abdullahi Kiptanui who spoke for the Muslim leaders said they were fully behind efforts to punish masterminds of the mayhem.
Kiptanui said Muslims leaders were ready to work with Christians to ensure similar violence does not occur in the country.
“We are happy that Ocampo is consulting all Kenyans irrespective of their positions (in society) to establish the truth,” he said.
The ICC prosecutor also met officials of civil society groups from regions that were affected by the chaos.
The Argentina-born prosecutor is also reported to have confided in the activists that the support he was getting from the Government was lukewarm.
The issues discussed at the meeting with the civil society included protection of witnesses, political interference and safety of human rights defenders.
Ocampo is said to have turned down a request by the human rights groups to set up a field office in Kenya expressing fear that agents of post-election violence suspects could infiltrate it.
Sources said he told the activists that ICC had conducted an assessment of Kenya and concluded that it was a high-risk country for ICC personnel.
He said it was safer to conduct investigations discreetly in Nairobi where ICC personnel and witnesses could meet without notice.
He, however, said Kenya was signatory to the Rome Statute that established the ICC and had no choice but to abide by its rules.
He also recommended what he termed as “protection by denial” for witnesses, saying they should not reveal they were ICC witnesses.
The civil society groups represented were 20 and the meeting lasted for two hours. The main aim of the meeting was to explore possible avenues of engagement between the groups and the ICC.
Ocampo also met top private sector chief executives for talks.
“Ocampo has held very fruitful meeting with leaders drawn from the corporate world and all that he wants us to understand was that he will not be there all the time Kenyans turn against each other,” said Linus Gitahi, the Nation Media Group CEO, who was one of the officials who met Ocampo.
Kenya Private Sector Alliance Chairman Patrick Obath told The Standard; “he wants Kenyans to see his action to prosecute a minimal number as an indicator that crimes were committed and the country can still deal with many others he will leave behind.”
Sources also indicated Ocampo met former Police Commissioner Maj-General Hussein Ali. Ali, however, denied the reports.
The sources said Maj-Gen Ali and Administration Police Commandant Kinuthia Mbugua were among Government officials who met Ocampo at a city hotel for talks.
The two were scheduled to meet Ocampo because of the security positions they held during the post-election violence period.
The ICC prosecutor was also scheduled to meet with three politicians whom he invited because they had been adversely mentioned in the investigations but whether they met him could not be independently established.