Form an independent body to implement the TJRC report, says Wetangula

Written by Leonard Wamalwa 2013-05-26 16:04:00 Read 116 Times

From left is Trans Nzoia senator Henry Ole Ndiema, Bungoma senator Moses Wetangula, governor Khaemba, Kiminini MP Dr. Chris Wamalwa, nominated senator Catherine Mukite, and Kwanza MP Ferdinand at the Kitale club. [PHOTO|Leonard Wamalwa|West Fm] Trans Nzoia County: Ford Kenya national leadership has called for the formation of an independent commission to implement the recently released Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission -TJRC report so that its recommendations can be fully adhered to. Speaking to journalists after a party meeting at Kitale Club conference hall, the leaders led by the party leader Moses Wetangula and secretary general who is also MP for Tongaren Dr. Esseli Simiyu together with elected leaders from Trans Nzoia County, they said that history has indicated that most reports of that caliber have never been implemented and therefore Kenyans should not witness the same on the very important report by TJRC. "The government has always been very poor to implement outcomes of such investigations, in fact the government never implements such reports and that is why the Kiliku report on land clashes, the Akiwumi report, the Ouko report, the J.M report and all manner of reports that have just been kept aside at great public expense," said Wetangula. Wetangula said that due to the history of such reports, the TJRC report cannot be entrusted to the current government or any other government to implement it bearing in mind that some senior government officials have been named and implicated in one way or another. He therefore pointed out that both houses of parliament in the senate and national assembly should move with speed to constitute an independent commission to implement the report so that it does not join the list of the other reports that are gathering dust in shelves with nothing being done about them. "I think both houses of parliament should move quickly to get the government to have an independent commission to implement the findings of this TJRC so that whatever recommendations that are do not just go to the shelves and gather dust because some of the top leaders of the country have been mentioned in various ways and therefore you do not expect them to undertake an implementation against themselves," noted Wetangula who is also the Bungoma senator. He noted that just like the commission on the implementation of the constitution, the TJRC needs the same approach to achieve its goals and recommendations. "We need an independent organ just like we have a commission for the implementation of the new constitution, if we left the implementation of this constitution to the government, whichever government, they will always act in a manner that makes them comfortable and where there is discomfort they will not," said Wetangula. According to the party leader, if the report is not handled in such a manner, then ten years later another government will come up with a similar commission like the TJRC to give the same recommendations at great public expense hence the report must be dealt with once and for all. At the same time the leaders called on the government to put proper measures in place to curb the escalating state of insecurity in the region spreading from Busia, Bungoma and Trans Nzoia counties. They challenged the police intelligence to live up to the expectations by providing proper information to curb the situation in most parts of the country. "We call upon security agencies especially the Inspector General to move with speed to ensure that the mayhem that has been witnessed in Bungoma does not spread to Trans Nzoia to make sure that criminals are put exactly where they belong," said the party leader. Among the leaders present in the meeting were Trans Nzoia senator Henry Ole Ndiema, nominated senator Catherine Mukite, area governor Patrick Khaemba and Mps Dr Esseli Simiyu of Tongaren, Ferdinand Wanyonyi of Kwanza and Dr Chris Wamalwa among other party officials and delegates.