NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 16 - Police on Tuesday said they are investigating the theft of computers that officials of a local human rights organisation claim to contain crucial information on some work it has been doing for the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the post election violence.

The computers were stolen from the offices of the International Centre for Policy and Conflict (ICPC) located in Nairobi’s Hazina Towers.

ICPC Executive Director Ndung’u Wainaina said he discovered the theft on Tuesday morning when he reported to work.

“The doors were open, and I realised the lights were on. Immediately I sensed danger and when I checked, for computers were missing,” Mr Wainaina said.

“I suspect the people who stole them (computers) must have used master keys because the doors were not broken,” he added.

ICC link

“Looking at the things they have stolen, like the computers, our conclusion is that these are people who were looking for data and information in regard to specific things,” Mr Wainaina said.

He said his organisation: “has also worked on issues touching on potential witnesses and victims. We have been holding quite a series of meetings  particularly when ICC wanted to get witnesses’ views, we really helped victims prepare their views and transmit them.”

“We were the lead organisation in terms of the special tribunal right from the beginning last year and also this time around we have also dealt a lot on issues touching on the Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission, so we know that the kind of information we have been handling is information that is of interest to many people,” he said.

Central divisional CID chief Festus Malinge who led a team of investigators to the scene said: “We have visited the offices and recorded statements from the Executive Director and other employees here. We have also dusted the scene for finger prints and the matter is now under investigations.”

“It is clear that there was no breaking, so we are trying to establish how copies of the keys to these doors ended up in the wrong hands,” he added.

The division’s police commander Richard Muguai said “the matter is now under the CID and investigations are underway.”

When Capital News arrived at the offices, CID officers were dusting the scene for finger prints and collecting evidence to assist in the investigation.

The matter was also raised in Parliament by Imenti Central legislator Gitobu Imanyara who demanded a statement from the Artoney General Amos Wako.

Mr Wako said he had directed the Commissioner of Police Mathew Iteere to institute a thorough investigation.”

Assistant Internal Security Minister Orwa Ojode also told Parliament he would issue a comprehensive statement on the matter on Thursday.