National Council of Churches of Kenya Call on Government to Resign

The National Council of Churches of Kenya, shocked that Cabinet has decided not to establish a Special Tribunal or to refer the matter of post election violence to the International Criminal Court, calls on the President, Prime Ministr, and government “to honourably resign and allow Kenyans to choose new leadership that will steer this country away from impunity and the high potential of national collapse.” DN

Title: NCCK churches call government to resign
Author: CISA, Nairobi
Category: Kenya
Date: 7/31/2009
Source: Catholic Information Service for Africa
Source Website: www.cisanewsafrica.org

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Summary & Comment: The National Council of Churches of Kenya, shocked that Cabinet has decided not to establish a Special Tribunal or to refer the matter of post election violence to the International Criminal Court, calls on the President, Prime Ministr, and government “to honourably resign and allow Kenyans to choose new leadership that will steer this country away from impunity and the high potential of national collapse.” DN

Shocked churches call on government to resign

The country’s Protestant and evangelical church leaders want the coalition government to quit and fresh elections to be held. This follows a Cabinet decision on Thursday not to establish a special tribunal to investigate and prosecute the suspected perpetrators of last year’s post-election violence or even refer the matter to the International Criminal Court. The government said it will instead undertake accelerated and far-reaching reforms in the judiciary, police, and investigative arms of government in the context of a strengthened Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission whose Act awaits amendment.

On Friday, the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) said it received the Cabinet decision “with shock”. It is the greatest betrayal of the people of Kenya. “By all counts the President, the Prime Minister, and the entire cabinet have bowed to impunity, and their complicity rewarded it”.

The promise to put in place institutional reforms to facilitate prosecution of the suspected post-election violence perpetrators is as escapist as most other government promises, the NCCK said. “This government has now failed to protect justice and has become a grand defender of impunity. In the face of such betrayal, Kenyans must resoundingly put across a strong message that the moral authority of the grand coalition government to govern has been grossly undermined.” NCCK told the President and the Prime Minister that it will be recorded in history that it was during their tenure that leadership failed. “Upon your hands and consciences will be the tears and pains of all Kenyans who have, continue to and will in future suffer for your failure to defend justice and stand up for this nation. You have allowed others to manipulate you, just as you manipulated them.”

The admission that the judiciary, police and investigative arms of government are incompetent is the final confirmation that Kenya is close to becoming a failed state. “We, therefore, call upon you to honourably resign and allow Kenyans to choose a new leadership that will steer this country away from impunity and the high potential of national collapse.” NCCK called Cabinet ministers “a terror rather than an asset to this nation”. They are driven by greed. “By supporting the decision not to dispense justice with regard to the post-election violence, you have taken upon your hands the blood of the 1,300 Kenyans who died in early 2008 and the suffering of Internally Displaced Persons which continues up to date”.

The churches’ group urged Kenyans to push for fresh elections to give a mandate to a deserving leadership. The civil society should join forces with all well meaning Kenyans to put pressure for intervention by the International Criminal Court to avert another bloodbath in 2012 elections.