Truth commission officials named

By David Ochami

Dr David W. Ichangi of the Association of Professional Societies of East Africa will chair the panel that will select six Kenyans to the proposed Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC).

Dr David Ichangi: Chairman of panel

Ichangi was appointed "by consensus" according to Justice Minister Martha Karua who convened the second meeting of the panel in Nairobi on Monday.

Ichangi said the panel was unlikely to hire a firm to select candidates to the proposed commission but would look for "the most suitable way" to do so.

Ms Florence Jaoko Simbiri of the Kenya National Commission for Human Rights was named the panel’s deputy chairperson and Mr Evans Monari its secretary, also by consensus according to the minister.

She said the Constitution of Kenya properly protects the TJRC Act.

Law constitutional

"If you are asking if the law (TJRC Act) is constitutional, then I can tell you it is absolutely," she said referring to fears that the search for Kenya’s brutal past could be halted by a challenge of the Act in the High Court.

On Thursday last week, Karua said the Official Secrets Act, which Government swears officials to secrecy will not hinder the TJRC in-spite of the non-enactment of the proposed Freedom of Information Act.

"The panel is duly constituted and will begin to operate," said the minister.

Mr Rashmin Chitnis and Mr Abdilatif represent religious organisations that must select 15 candidates to the proposed commission in the next 36 days.

Teachers and workers unions named Mr Isaiah Kubai to the panel. Mr Keli Kiilu was appointed by the private sector and employers, Dr Juma Andrew Suleh of Kenya Medical Association and Nancy Kange’the Ikuni from Fida Kenya.

Ichangi said the panel would invite Kenyans seeking to sit on the truth commission in an advertisement on March 23.

"This commission is created by the Serena mediation process and its findings cannot be ignored," she said and added that the Kibaki administration has been implementing findings of the Waki and Kriegler commission. She said the government "disbanded the Electoral Commission of Kenya following the Kriegler Report and we are now about to start police reforms according to the [recommendation] of the Waki Report."

Ms Florence Jaoko: Vice-chairperson

According to the TJRC Act Parliament is expected to pick six candidates from the list of 15 selected by the panel who will be joined by three named by the Kofi Annan led Group of Eminent African Persons for formal appointment by President Kibaki.

The TJRC will investigate Kenya’s past for two years and recommend criminal charges, amnesty on some crimes and compensation of victims of gross rights violations.