Truth, justice and reconciliation commission recommended

A truth, justice and reconciliation commission should be set up immediately to address human rights violations and economic crimes committed in Kenya between 1963 and 2002, a national conference has recommended. The conference was organised by a task force mandated by the Kenyan government to look into the feasibility of setting up a truth and reconciliation commission. A final report is expected to be sent to the minister for justice by 31 August. The participants at the two-day conference, which ended on Saturday, resolved that the commission would be mandated to address "gross human rights violations, gross economic crimes and grave injustices related to land", said a draft declaration. It said the commission would have powers to "address and recommend restitution, reparations, prosecutions and, in special circumstances, conditional amnesties, as well as mechanisms and policies for preventing and addressing future violations". The commission would not be "used as a witch-hunt, whitewash or as an instrument to delay justice", but would pay special attention to "atrocities" committed in the northern frontier district, it said. Commenting on this decision, Wanza Kioko, an official working for the task force, told IRIN the investigations would focus on the banditry and alleged massacres there. "That part of the country has been marginalised. It is a matter of public notoriety that they have had a very hard life there," she said. Since 16 June the task force has been touring Kenya's provinces to hear public opinion on the setting up of a commission. On Monday it arrived in North-Eastern Province and will move on to Central Province before it finishes the public hearings on 16 July.