President Uhuru Kenyatta has criticised the move by the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) George Kinoti to conduct a probe on matters related to the 2007/2008 post-election violence.
The Head of State declared that he would not accept such action, saying it amounts to reopening of old wounds.
Kenyatta, who was speaking on Wednesday during the launch of the BBI signature collection drive at KICC, said he learnt of the DCI’s move through the media.
“Wale ambao wanajaribu kuchimbua makaburi, nilisoma kwa gazeti juzi. Wasifikiri wanacheza, mimi siwezi kukubaliana na mambo kama hayo. Tumetoka huko na mambo haya tumezika katika kaburi ya sahau,” he said.
The President insisted that the issues that affected the country in the past would be resolved through constitutional and legal avenues for the country to be united.
“You must always think before you do something. Sisi hatutaki vita katika taifa letu la Kenya. Sisi wengine wetu tunajua maana ya amani na sisi tunataka kurekebisha zile shida kwa njia ya kikatiba na kisheria ndio Kenya isonge mbele na wakenya wawe kitu kimoja,” said Kenyatta.
The DCI’s announcement to revisit the 2007/2008 Post-Election Violence cases triggered a political fireball, with Deputy President William Ruto and leaders allied to him coming out strongly to condemn the move.
In a press address on Monday, Kinoti said that some victims of the 2007/2008 Post Election Violence had reported new threats against their lives, adding that over 100 cases had already been recorded.
“We have registered around 72 cases from those whose wives, husbands, children were killed…We have recorded cases of some who were driven out of their homes…We have 118 cases in total registered today with complainants and witnesses,” he stated.
“I do not want to regionalize cases by stating the regions from where those who have registered the cases come from…As DCI, we are welcoming all Kenyans afflicted by this problem.”
He, however, issued a statement on Tuesday stating that his office would not reopen any closed cases, but was investigating new threats to the victims.
“My address yesterday was in no way intended to mean that we are going to open completed cases which were investigated and closed. It was an acknowledgement of concerns raised by Kenyans, to assure the public of the commitment of the DCI to investigate all reported threats to security and to sensitize the public on the need for peaceful co-existence,” stated the DCI.
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