NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 5 – Four commissioners of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) are set to vacate office on Monday next week upon expiry of their terms.
KNCHR Chairperson Florence Jaoko says Commissioner Kipngetich arap Tororei who is the vice chairperson will take over in an acting capacity until new commissioners are appointed.
“We are vacating our positions on Monday,” she told Capital News in an interview.
Jaoko who was appointed to the commission five years ago will relinquish her position alongside Winfred Lichumba and Hassan Omar who have also served the commission for a similar period. Wambui Kimathi, who has served for eight years, is also set to retire.
Apart from Tororei, terms of commissioners Fatuma Ibrahim, Fatuma Dullo, Lawrence Mute and Ann Ngugi are still valid.
Jaoko who replaced Maina Kiai said the next commissioners will be appointed in accordance with the new Constitution, which will require advertisements to be placed for the new vacancies, followed by a public selection process.
During their service, KNCHR compiled sensitive reports which sometimes brushed the political class the wrong way.
It authored “On the brink of the precipice” detailing atrocities committed during the 2008 post election violence. The report was variously quoted by International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo in his case against six prominent Kenyans.
Omar also was under sharp focus with allegations by two people who claimed to have been bribed by him to become ICC witnesses despite The Hague based court disowning them.
In its report following the violence, the human rights body also linked hundreds of killings to the police whom they accused of using force and live bullets against innocent civilians.
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