Blinkered Justice

Now that one of the most vocal critics of the Waki Report, Hon. William Ruto, has backtracked and acceded to its implementation, the question is: What quo is he getting for his quid? 

I'm certain that his change of tune has not been occasioned by a miraculous spiritual revelation but by a rather mundane political epiphany. The intentions of the report's authors are unlikely to survive a ride through our National Assembly and courts. 

Sure we will end up with some cosmetic moves towards justice but nothing substantive. And while a few of their pawns may be allowed to rot in jail as a sacrifice to appease our wrath, none of the organisers and financiers of the post-election violence is ever likely to pay for the crimes. Ruto himself recently told us that it was "dishonest" for us to demand that they do.

I predict that a day of national forgiveness is coming (properly attired in the now regulation public holiday), preceded by a Truth and Justice Commission which will provide neither truth nor justice. A local tribunal set up to investigate the post-election crimes will expend massive resources and effort overlooking evidence and missing clues. A feeble attempt at prosecution will be made and quietly abandoned years later following innumerable Constitutional petitions. Already lawyers are pointing out that "a court ruling that expunged the name of former Central Bank of Kenya governor Eric Kotut from the recommendations of the Goldenberg Commission report has sounded a death knell to recommendations of all commissions formed since independence", including the Waki Commission.

All this will be covered in great mind-numbing detail by our local media though a few years later it will be difficult to find a Kenyan who remembers exactly what all the fuss was about.