Legal Commentary

Update 4 from Geneva- Waki Speaks

By Ory Okolloh

[I really should have been done now, but my in box is a mess, fired the nanny on my return and dealing with a semi-sick Gabi...did I say I have 10,000 things on my plate? I need a clone. STAT!]

The Geneva conference marked the first time that Waki has spoken publicly on the CIPEV (Waki) report. He was understandably measured, given the controversy surrounding his report - or as he corrected us - the Commission’s report. He reminded the audience that many recommendations were made by the Commission beyond the local tribunal that could be acted upon NOW and was disappointed that these are being ignorede.g.
- recommendations on issues around IDPs
- recommendations on addressing the sexual and gender based violence
- recommendations on police reform

He noted that the fact that they recommended a local tribunal that by-passed the criminal justice system, does not mean that the Commission had zero confidence in the judiciary as some claim…they just felt that a tribunal would be the most expedient way to deliver justice.

He said that they were deliberately bold as a Commission because they wanted to be unlike other Commissions whose recommedations disappeared into thin air. He also said that they had a responsiblity to deliver because they had reassured Kenyans who were reluctant to testify before them that something would come out of the Commission.
[A bit of goss - the Commission's secretary, George Kegoro, did an outstanding job as far as marshalling the testimony and keeping things on track].

Full post as published by Kenyan Pundit on April 03, 2009 (boomark / email).