Kenya: No amnesty, says cardinal

2008-06-16 12:00

Nairobi - There should be no political amnesty for those responsible for the wave of post-election violence that swept across Kenya, the head of the country's Roman Catholic Church said on Sunday.

"Let it be heard and let it be understood, justice must be seen to be done," said Cardinal John Njue. "Anything less than that will not bring unity in the country."

Justice was a sure way to ensure genuine reconciliation in the east African nation, he added.

Ministers of the Kenyan coalition government have publicly disagreed in recent days over the amnesty issue.

Dozens of Kenyans have been detained in connection with the violence that swept the country in the aftermath of the December polls.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga has called for a blanket amnesty for those who simply protested the results. But supporters of President Mwai Kibaki insisted that justice should follow its course.

Violence erupted in Kenya after pre-election front-runner Odinga accused President Kibali of election fraud.

The ensuing clashes sparked off a tribal and revenge killings that claimed 1 500 lives and and displaced around 300 000 people. There were also widespread incidents of rape.

The chaos in Kenya shook a nation generally seen as a haven of stability in a troubled region. Former United Nations secretary general chief Kofi Annan eventually managed to broker a solution to the crisis.

That involved a power-sharing deal in which Kibaki kept the presidency while Odinga took the the helm of a coalition cabinet.

- AFP