On December 3,2008, International Center for Policy and Conflict (ICPC) organized international conference to discuss the character and jurisdiction of the proposed Special Tribunal for Kenya by the Commission of inquiry of post election violence(CIPEV). ICPC offered the technical advice and civic education in the subsequent process of enacting the Tribunal Bill. The then Chair of Parliamentary Committee on Legal and Administration of Justice Abdikadir and Vice Chair Millie Mabona worked very closely with ICPC and other civil society organizations to ensure successful establishment of the PEV Tribunal. A book Prosecuting Justice for Victims of Post Election Violence-Why The Hague Option by International Center for Policy and Conflict, 2012provided candid detailed documentation of every step leading to the International Criminal Court. ICPC worked with Hon Gitobu Imanyara to draft a private member Bill on PEV. The Bill was later overover by late Minister for Justice Mutula Kilonzo. However when he submitted it before the Cabinet for aprooval and subsequent tabling in Parliament, the cabinet chaied by Mwai Kibaki rejected it. The cabinet held a press conference outside State House( first of its kind in recent history of kenya) declaring government of Kenya will no longer set up Tribunal but will wok work and support International Criminal Court to ensure justice for victims of the PEV. This position was reiterated by Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga when they met the Prosecutor f the ICC in November 2009 and held joint press Conference outside Harambee House. The Civil society insisted that while the ICC idea was welcome, it was still necessary to set up the Special Tribunal. Hence the continued pursuit of the Tribunal idea through private members bill, which 10th Members of Parliament( including Aden Duale, among others) refused to debate and kept walking out whenever the Bill was tabled for debate. The rest is history. This week( yesterday) i received a draft Bill from the Republican Liberty Party titled In the Matter of 2007/8 Post Election Violence Tribunal Bill-2014. The Petition of the Bill was submitted to the National Assembly Clerk on 14th October, 2014. Any initiative that seeks to address PEV Victims rights stand supported. Cc Nzau Ya Musau, Walter Menya, Olick Felix,
Posted on: Sat, 18 Oct 2014 06:31:57 +0000