Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo has said the 20 named as key perpetrators of post-election violence by International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo was still on the lower side.

Mr Mutula said there were hundreds of crimes that were committed during post-election violence and if culprits were to be nailed, the number would go into hundreds.

"That is why we were fighting for the establishment of a local tribunal because we believe it can handle all these criminal cases," he added.

Speaking to The Standard from Geneva on telephone where he is attending a Human Rights Conference, Mutula said he agreed with Moreno-Ocampo in withholding the names of the suspects.

"It is wrong to publish names of suspects before jurisdiction is attained because they can be hunted down," he added.

Mutula was reacting to information from ICC that Moreno-Ocampo was closing in on 20, not three or six prominent Kenyans, as earlier reported.

However, Fisheries Minister Paul Otuoma said publication of the names of suspects is tantamount to mob justice. "We should not condemn the leaders because they are suspects. Thorough investigation should first be carried out," argued Dr Otuoma.

Local tribunal

The Funyula MP said a strong case should first be presented about the suspects, and due procedure followed, before their names are made public.

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) welcomed the handing over of names of post-election violence suspects.

KNCHR Deputy Chairman Hassan Omar said: "This is the right step towards fighting impunity."

He added that if the Government had constituted a local tribunal, this would not be happening.

Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims Director-General Sheikh Abdulatif Shaaban, however, felt that the handing over of the names to the ICC might interfere with constitutional review.

"We hope this will not dilute efforts to get a new constitution. It is, however, good that the names of the 20 suspects are not yet made public," Shaaban said.

And Law Society of Kenya Vice-Chairman James Mwamu said there is a lot of anxiety among Kenyans, over the names Moreno-Ocampo presented to The Hague Bench of three pre-trial judges. "The names should be revealed, since some of them hold high offices in Government," he said.

— Reports by Martin Mutua, Allan Kisia, Mangoa Mosota and Ngumbao Kithi.