It appears inevitable that the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission, as presently constituted, will soon come to an unfortunate end. The ultimatum given to this noble commission by Parliament's Legal and Constitutional committee to shape up or ship out is sad but was expected.
The commission was set up as part of the Agenda Four goals and mandated to investigate and address past injustices to rebirth the nation and give it fresh impetus.
However, an integrity crisis soon hit the commission as allegations were made against its Chairman, Dr Bethuel Kiplagat, who has insisted he is innocent and that he would only resign if a tribunal found him guilty of wrong-doing as per the law. This crisis has dragged on for close to nine months and the lack of confidence in the commission has greatly affected its work, with both potential witnesses and donors keeping away.
As we have said before, the issue before the country moved from whether the allegations against Kiplagat are true or not and onto the need for the nation to realise its quest for truth, justice and reconciliation.
The commission's lifespan is running out fast and someone should address the matter. The Chief Justice doesn't seem to be in a hurry to set up the tribunal and Parliament may have to intervene.
Because Kiplagat failed to do the right thing at the right time, he may be remembered as the person who stood on the country's way in its quest for truth. We hope this quest will still be realised.
Source: The Standard | Online Edition
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