I gave Waki false information, Eldoret man now claims

By Vitalis Kimutai

A man who testified before the Waki Commission has confessed that the evidence he and others gave against some politicians and businessmen was false. The middle-aged man who did not want to be identified for security reasons, says.

He says the evidence they adduced before the Waki Commission implicating some individuals in the post-election violence was motivated by the fight between PNU and ODM politicians over control of Government.

He also revealed that he and other witnesses had a series of meetings with ICC investigators and situation analysts when they visited the country.

He revealed that a prominent Nairobi lawyer who had been retained by key politicians took statements from the ‘witnesses’ even before they testified before the Waki Commission.

“The evidence we gave to the Waki Commission was done in camera as we were aware of the repercussions it could have on our security had we done it publicly,” he stated.

The man claims they were driven by want of money and the promise of moving abroad.

On Saturday, the Kenya National Commission Human Rights denied claims it had coached witnesses who appeared before the Waki Commission.

The same claim was dismissed by an Eldoret based NGO the Centre for Human Rights and Democracy who said the witnesses had volunteered and could not have been coached.