Armenian saga: Too little too late
Yesterday’s appointment by President Mwai Kibaki of a commission of inquiry to look into the circumstances surrounding the deportation of the two Armenian brothers – Artur Margaryan and Artur Sargasyan – is blatant waste of public funds. It smacks of dishonesty on the part of the government and an attempt to cover up the dubious activities of foreigners who did not miss an opportunity to bash the very government that offered the security.
The history of commissions of inquiry in this country is mired in controversy, with their findings rarely made public. A number of times, such findings have been left to gather dust on the shelves. Still, it is ironical that the president chose to appoint such a commission at a time when a parliamentary committee was already at work. Nothing much can be expected from the commission given that its members are presidential appointees and can never be expected to be neutral. Of what use will be the commission’s findings when the two infamous brothers have already been spirited away?
Kenyans are also bound to ask why it took the president so long to establish this commission. If he was really committed to safeguarding the country’s interests, he would have ordered the security intelligence officers to investigate the activities of the two wayward brothers immediately former minister Raila Odinga blew the whistle on them. The information given to the Commissioner of Police by Raila in March was more than sufficient to warrant an investigation.
It also beats reasoning as to why the president chose to suspend junior officers following the airport invasion while leaving the big fish untouched. The people who should have been shown the door are cabinet ministers John Michuki and Gideon Konchellah, who have been defending the brothers to the hilt. Blame should also have been apportioned to the Kenya Airports Authority chairman George Muhoho. Those airport passes could not have been issued without his say-so. Kenyans will not rest until the truth comes out.