Kenya: Top security organ meets over Chief Justice Mutunga threats

By EDITH FORTUNATE

The government's top security organ National Security Advisory Council (NSAC) is meeting to deliberate on Chief Justice Willy Mutunga's assertions that his life is in danger.

The Head of Public Service Francis Kimemia is chairing the special NSAC meeting at Harambee House, Nairobi on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Mr Kimemia summoned the NSAC to a meeting after Chief Justice Willy Mutunga claimed he had been threatened by the outlawed group Mungiki.

In an interview with the Nation, a few minutes before the meeting, Mr Kimemia said threats to a CJ at this time when campaign temperatures are high cannot be ignored.

"We want to ascertain who is behind all these as such claims cannot be left hanging. They are people who are keen on derailing the country," said Mr Kimemia.

"The meeting wants to get to the root cause of the matter raised by the CJ."

NSAC will issue a statement after the meeting on the resolution and action to be taken to those found culpable.

The organ will also seek to establish whether the motive is political.

Announcing the government's decision, government spokesman Muthui Kariuki said the NSAC will meet to discuss "the matter in its entirety".

Mr Kariuki said the alleged threats were serious coming just days to the March 4 General Election.

“The government takes threats to the Chief Justice or any other Kenyan very seriously and this is why Mr Kimemia has convened the meeting,” he said.

The CJ shocked the nation on Wednesday when he convened a press conference and said Mungiki had written to him threatening his life if the courts gave an "adversarial ruling" in the case challenging Uhuru Kenyatta’s bid for the presidency on integrity grounds.

Mr Kenyatta and his running mate under the Jubilee coalition are facing crimes against humanity charges at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The charges stem from the 2007/08 post election violence that followed a disputed presidential election.

The ICC accuses Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto of bearing the greatest responsibility for the chaos that led to the death of 1,133 people and displacement of 650,000.

Other accused are former head of public service Francis Muthaura and former radio presenter Joshua arap Sang.

The trials are due to start on April 10.

Civil Society groups had moved to court to challenge the eligibility of Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto's joint presidential ticket given the ICC charges.

However, the High Court ruled that despite the serious nature of the crimes facing Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto, the two are still presumed innocent until proven guilty.

“It is common knowledge the two have been indicted, but since Kenyan courts and the ICC are of concurrent jurisdiction, we cannot adjudicate over the same matter. Only the ICC can bar them to run for public office,” ruled the five-judge bench.

Source: Daily Nation (21/02/2013): http://elections.nation.co.ke/news/Top-security-organ-meets-over-CJ-Mutunga-threats-/-/1631868/1700370/-/m8jkx0/-/index.html