Kenya probes key leaders over post-election violence

By Xinhua

Nairobi : Kenyan authorities said they are investigating more than 200 prominent personalities believed to have funded or instigated the post-election violence in the country.


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The police said some of the suspects have been arraigned in court while others are being sought by police for various offences.

Police spokesman Eric Kiraithe said in a statement Friday that the suspects include politicians, church leaders and business people, who were said to have either sponsored or incited people to commit atrocities that have left nearly 1,000 people dead and over 600,000 displaced.

Kiraithe said some of those under investigation had been summoned to write statements, while others were still at large.

“It is a broad-based investigation, which is aimed at bringing justice in the country. Our officers have managed to catch up with some of them but others are still on the run,” he said.

The police have already released photographs of more than 100 of those said to be at large and offered handsome rewards to anyone with credible information on their whereabouts. Some of the photographs were released a week ago while others were released late Thursday.

“We are appealing for assistance from the public. Any information will be treated with utmost confidence,” he said.

He said the police were documenting evidence against the suspects, who will be arraigned in court as soon as the probes are completed.

Kiraithe did not reveal the names of the prominent personalities under probe. He said photographs published in the local media a week ago had yielded fruit, which led to the arrest of more than 50 suspects.

Kenya has been mired by violence after the December presidential elections when Mwai Kibaki was declared as the new President.

Supporters of the opposition leader Raila Odinga claimed that the count was rigged. More than 1,000 people have been killed, and 600,000 displaced in the ensuing violence between the rival ethnic groups.

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