NAIROBI, July 21 – Politicians and other people who financed organised gangs during the post election violence will soon appear before a commission set up to probe the deadly violence early this year.
The Commission of Inquiry into Post Election Violence (CIPEV) was told Monday that many of the militia-like groups existed in almost every community and were getting support mainly from politicians.
In his testimony to the commission, Director General of the National Security Intelligence Service (NSIS) Major General Michael Gichangi said he was willing to disclose names of politicians and other leaders who bankrolled the criminal activities.
“In this particular context, it was in relation to the elections and therefore it is individuals or persons with political interests. It would have been bankrolled at all levels. And we are going to give all the details,” Maj Gen Gichangi said.
CIPEV Chairman Justice Philip Waki said he would grant the NSIS boss a private session to provide some of the information, which is deemed confidential.
“That is information the commission will require but will be received in camera,” he ruled.
Some of the militia-like groups whose donors are to be made public include the dreaded Mungiki sect, Chinkororo, Sungu Sungu, Taliban, and Kalenjin Warriors among others.
During cross examination by lawyer Harun Ndubi, Maj Gen Gichangi said his department had compiled a detailed report on politicians who played part in supporting violence-related activities.
These include politicians, councillors and other people he could not name during Monday’s public session.
“My lords, our work is to spy and we spy on anyone, not necessarily the politicians,” he said.
Those named by NSIS will be required to appear and defend themselves before the commission.
The law requires however that they first be served with adverse notices before their names are made public.
It was the third day that the spy chief was appearing at the inquiry that sits at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC).
Last Thursday, he gave his testimony in public before he was taken in for a private session to testify on some of the matters he referred to as ‘highly classified’.
He concluded testifying on Monday with exhaustive cross examination by lawyers representing various organisations.
In his final remarks, the spy chief recommended that the government puts in place mechanisms whereby organisations like the NSIS can be able to monitor the progress of its advice to security agents.
He said lack of such mechanisms was partly to blame for the post election violence that claimed the lives of more than 1500 people and displacement of some 300,000 others.
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