Kenya not ‘out of the woods’ yet, says Mutula

By Martin Mutua

Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo has said the country is not yet ‘out of the woods’ to warrant the sidelining of chief mediator Koffi Annan

Kilonzo described as ‘busy bodies’ those calling for Annan’s withdrawal from the country’s affairs saying they do not understand the implementation of the Agenda Four process.

In an interview with The Standard, Mutula who was scheduled to leave the country last night for Geneva to attend a Human Rights conference said, Annan was the chair of the group of eminent persons that was overseeing the implementation of agenda four that includes land policy, youth affairs, resettlement of IDPs among others.

"Even if he doesn’t come here to Kenya if there is a need to audit the National Accord or agenda four and he ought to be here in the company of the unsung heroes of Benjamin Mkapa and Graca Machel," he added.

Mutula said Anna and his team deserved respect from Kenyans for what they had done for the country instead of being subjected to unjustified ridicule and attacks.

Busy bodies

"Those professors and busy bodies attacking Annan and his team in public are being very unfair and I can assure you that I don’t share those views.," he added.

Mutula said while in Geneva he had scheduled a courtesy call on Annan to reassure him of the country’s confidence in him and the implementation of the Agenda Four.

The minister noted that the Annan group was responsible for nominating experts who were sitting in the commissions that had been formed as a result of the agenda four.

He outlined the commissions as Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission, the Committee of Experts on Constitutional Review, Interim Independent Boundaries Commissions and the Interim Disputes Resolution Tribunal.

"It means if Annan goes then we shall close down the secretariat for group of eminent persons, Mkapa (Benjamin) and Machel (Graca) also goe and then what happens to the experts they donated to these commissions?" he posed.