Name and shame officers soiling your integrity, KNHRC told

By Gakuu Mathenge

Kenya National Commission on Human Rights has been urged to make public the names of officials being accused of compromising security of witnesses expected to give information to the International Criminal Court over post-election violence.

The officials are accused of exposing the identities and whereabouts of the prospective witnesses to people targeted for investigation over their role in the 2008 violence.

"The said officials should resign for betraying the trust vested on KNCHR," human rights lawyer Harun Ndubi said Saturday.

He said a tribunal should be formed to investigate the allegations, saying KNHRC could not be trusted to investigate their own on criminal negligence.

"If there is evidence that someone has compromised the security of witnesses, KNCHR owes it to witness, Kenyans and to its integrity to ask such a person(s) to resign or sack them. It is not enough for KNCHR chair to invite members of the public to send information to her office when affected witnesses lodged complaints. All Kenyans look up to KNCHR for protection, whether threatened witnesses are under KNCHR or not," Ndubi said.

National watchdog

Last week, KNCHR ran a press advert inviting a media house and "any other persons who may have credible information with regard to this matter to kindly send it to us in confidence".

Former Subukia MP Koigi Wamwere said the commission was a sensitive national watchdog whose integrity should be beyond reproach.

When reached for comment, vice chairman Hassan Omar said KNCHR has been aware of the allegations against one of the commissioners since late last year.