The government, through the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), has re-opened cases touching on the 2007/2008 post-election violence (PEV). 

According to DCI boss George Kinoti, more than 100 victims of rape, assault, arson and other crimes started recording statements at the DCI headquarters Monday.

During his media address, Kinoti assured PEV victims of justice coming more than a decade after the post poll skirmishes that left more than 1,200 people dead.

The DCI boss said a total of 118 statements had been recorded by his detectives, 72 being homicide cases and 44 being those violently evicted from their property.

“The government has given us firm instructions to ensure that never again should we go collecting bodies and having mass graves in this country because of elections,” said Kinoti.

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He assured victims of the post-election violence that the government would ensure they get back property taken away from them due to the political chaos.

“We have heard the victims’ cry and emerging threats and we are promising them that they shall not even be scratched on the same account again,” he added.

Kinoti added that justice will also be delivered over the Kiambaa Church torching in which more than 30 people were burnt alive at the height of the skirmishes.

The DCI director said sleuths will prosecute in court those linked to murder and property theft.

He revealed that after statement recording his team will meet Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai and Interior CS Fred Matiang’i before gathering more information from arrears where PEV occurred.

“The entire criminal system is competent and will handle these cases once we have finalised with the investigations,” he opined.

This comes only days after lawyer Paul Gicheru, who was wanted for alleged witness tampering, surrendered to the International Criminal Court at The Hague.

The move by the government to go after PEV masterminds has caught many Kenyan by surprise given very little progress has been made in the 13 years.

A case facing President Uhuru Kenyatta at the ICC was dropped in 2014 after he was charged at the Hague by then ICC prosecutor Moreno-Ocampo in 2014.

On 5 April 2016, ICC terminated the case facing DP Ruto but Ocampo’s replacement Fatou Bensouda said the cases could be reopened in future.

Earlier this year Deputy President William Ruto claimed there was a plot to revive the 2008 PEV cases in a bid to derail his bid for State House in the 2022 election.