Richard said that his father died peacefully in his sleep at 5:15am Friday morning/MOSES MUOKI
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 14 – Kenyans are still coming to terms with the death of former Chairman of the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC), Bethuel Kiplagat.
Richard Kiplagat son to the late former TJRC Chairman eulogised his father as a man who was a true achiever during his young and old age.
“We are very proud of what he has been able to achieve, and we celebrate all of the achievements that he has made. Our focus is on making necessary plans to ensure that our father is accorded a proper burial,” said Richard while addressing journalists at the Lee Funeral Home.
Richard said that his father died peacefully in his sleep at 5:15am Friday morning.
According to officials who spoke to the family, the former TJRC Chairman died at the Nairobi Hospital aged 81 after a long illness.
Kiplagat was the Chairman of the Truth Justice and Reconciliation which was set up in 2008 to come with recommendations on how to tackle post-ethnic conflicts and political violence, including the 1982 coup d’état, Shifta war and the post-election violence of 2007.
The team was mandated to investigate, analyse and report on causes of conflicts and gross human rights violations in the country since 1963 to 2008, including economic crimes, illegal acquisition of public land, marginalization of communities, and ethnic violence among others and recommend the way forward.
The report gave various recommendations – including compensation of affected families but little has been done.
Kiplagat’s death is the fourth one involving prominent individuals this month, coming just two days after that of Nicholas Biwott, a one-time powerful Cabinet Minister in former Presidential Daniel arap Moi government.
Others include Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery who collapsed and died on Saturday morning after suffering a heart attack and Senator GG Kariuki.
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