Bill on special tribunal gets intense support

By Fatuma Fugicha

A major campaign has been mounted to drum up support for the Special Tribunal Bill.

Two weeks before Parliament re-opens, the civil society and some MPs have intensified lobbying for the Bill.

Sponsored by Central Imenti MP Gitobu Imanyara, the Bill proposes to establish a special tribunal to try post-election violence suspects.

On Wenesday, Mr Imanyara called on the two principals to marshal their troops in Parliament and support the Bill.

He, however, accused them of lacking political will to support it. He said the Bill has comprehensive provisions to deal with immunity and has support from many Kenyans and the international community, but President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga appear not to be keen on it.

"We need the Special Tribunal to deal with the vast majority of offenders," he said.

Imanyara wondered why the two principals were not keen on implementing recommendations of the Justice Philip Waki-led commission.

Addressing an editors’ forum and participants from Federation of International Women Lawyers (Fida), Imanyara challenged the Government to commit itself to ending impunity.

Hard to agree

"Next year’s promise of a new Constitution will be in vain. They are lying to us, if they can’t agree on one amendment, how can we trust them to pass a constitutional amendment with comprehensive provisions?" he asked.

Safina Chairman Paul Muite accused the Government of derailing the fight against impunity.

He urged the media to be pro-active in calling for reforms and the fight on impunity.

Mr Muite also asked Kenyans to support ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo’s interventions and the Imanyara Bill.

Fida Executive Director Patricia Nyaundi urged women to lobby hard and not to sit back and wait for the reform to happen.