Uhuruto must pursue peace and reconciliation after ICC victory

Uhuruto must pursue peace and reconciliation after ICC victory

President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Samoei Ruto must now trasverse Kenya with a clear message of peace and reconciliation. Truth of the matter is that many victims of post-election violence are still destitute, seeking justice or reparations, and are still suffering from the injuries they sustained during the violence that nearly tore apart Kenya in 2007/8 post-election violence. The victims are still awaiting justice. It is vital that their voices are heard and urgent action is taken. Many of the displaced have yet to be resettled or compensated, many of the injured or the families of those killed have yet to receive reparation to help rebuild their shattered lives and most of the perpetrators have yet to face justice.

Expressing his joy following the collapse of the cases against Deputy President William Ruto and Joshua Sang at the ICC, President Kenyatta said the country’s focus now shifts to consolidating peace, progress, stability and unity. The reason behind this is that Kenya must be allowed to heal, reconcile and look into the future with hope without being dragged into the past. Peace, reconciliation, forgiveness and justice to all those affected by post-election violence should be Kenyans priority, focus, goal and objective. Uhuruto must now lead from the front and demonstrate to Kenyans that peace and reconciliation must be given its space and that Kenyans need to work together to ensure justice for the 2007-2008 post-election violence.

Kenyans should reckon the words of Eldoret Catholic Bishop Cornelius Korir who termed the dismissal of the case a new chapter in the reconciliation in the region, the epicentre of the violence that claimed more than 1,000 lives and displaced thousands of people in 2007. ACK Bishop Thomas Kogo asked Uhuruto to extend an olive branch to those who wronged them during the trial period. Indeed this is not a time of revenge, but forgiveness since those perceived to be aggressors and the aggrieved suffered, and now that the ICC has given its verdict, Uhuruto should forge ahead in peace-making initiatives.