Last year the nation of Kenya was wracked by horrible violence following the disputed election of Kibaki which was challenged by opposition leader Odinga. During the ensuing chaos, hundreds of thousands of people were forced to flee their homes as sectarian and political groups clashed. It is estimated thousands were killed or injured during the riots. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is on an extended visit to African nations and in her first stop in Kenya she berated the nation’s leaders for failure to follow up the violence with a serious investigation into who was behind the killings.
There has been talk of a investigation by the International Criminal Court in order to establish the bottom line in African nations that when an election is stolen, those responsible for violence will be held accountable. She urged establishment of a Special Tribunal with independent investigative power, but this most probably will not happen.
Kenya can establish a precedent by initiating an independent investigation and it would send a message to neighboring Zimbabwe where President Mugabe continues to violate the law by harassing opposition leaders following his own fraudulent election.
