Paul Muite Press Release

Press Statement By Paul Muite S.C on threats to his life over Extra Judicial
Executions in Kenya issued 8th April 2009

Last Sunday, 5th April 2009, I received specific information from credible
sources that Members of the "Kwekwe squad" responsible for carrying out extra
judicial executions have been given instructions to get rid of me.

The question you will ask and the one that jumped to my mind when I received
the information is, what have I done, why now? This is the question my mind has
been grappling with since Sunday.

My conclusion is that the consistent public stand which I have taken on extra
judicial executions may have something to do with it. Some of you Ladies and
Gentlemen of the media will recall that I was amongst the very first public
figures to condemn extra judicial executions and to point fingers at the
Government. I attended the funeral services of both Kingara and Oulu at which I
spoke strongly on Government involvement in the killings. In so
doing, I was aware that Intelligence Officers would be present wanting to know
who was saying what. It is their work.

Recently, Professor Philip Alston handed over his report on extra judicial
executions in Kenya to the ICC Prosecutor, Moreno Ocampo and requested the ICC
to take action.

Behind the scenes, I have myself been urging Ice through emissaries to take
action since this issue is grave and serious. The documented cases are over 600.
Thousands more are listed as missing. It is possible that the Intelligence
agencies are aware of my behind the scenes efforts for ICC to take action. They
listen to phone conversations and hack emails as we all know.

I have accordingly decided to write formally to the ICC Prosecutor Louis Moreno
Ocampo drawing his attention to the imminent threat to my life and urging him to
open investigations into extra judicial executions in Kenya with a view to
prosecuting those involved. I am making available to you copies of my letter to
Mr. Ocampo. You will see from the contents of my letter to Mr. Ocampo that under
Article 28 of the Rome Statute, I finger criminal responsibility for these extra
judicial executions on the President himself, the Hon. John Michuki who was the
Minister of State in the Office of the President in 2006 when this policy of
extermination through extra judicial executions appears to have been formulated
and implementation commenced, the Commissioner of Police, the Director of
Intelligence, the
Commanders of these squads and at the bottom, those officers who carry out the
executions.

It is possible however that the last straw might well have come from the latest
spat with H.E. the President over the criminal raid on KTN and the Standard and
with his then Minister of State in his office in charge of Internal Security the
Hon. John Michuki. It will be recalled that the President himself issued a coded
threat" or where ever else we might meet. It is the only way." My lawyers'
letter to the President in which this coded threat was taken up is a matter of
public record and I make available to you copies of that letter.

The Hon. John Michuki, too, sent a demand letter which was responded to.The
last paragraph of my lawyers' response reads and I quote:-

"Thirdly and finally, we have been instructed to state that our client will
take the suit your client files as invitation to disclose and adduce evidence of
the meeting at which the decision to carry out the criminal operations was made,
who was present and in particular who presided over that meeting and gave the go
ahead, including the fake articles on an alleged visit by "someone" to Southern
Sudan back in 1997 to visit "someone" there.. Your client will bear
responsibility for disclosure of that evidence including the implication and
consequences. "

This too I suspect might have contributed towards the final straw.

If a government which is supposed to protect the lives of its citizens is the
one taking those lives in extra judicial executions and political
assassinations, there is very little a citizen can do to escape execution.

I have called this press conference to let Kenyans know that if anything does
indeed happen to me, let no one be fooled that it was "ordinary thuggery or car
jacking." It will have been pre-meditated political assassination/extra judicial
execution.

It would pain my soul wherever it might be to hear Erick Kiraithe and Dr.Alfred
Mutua telling the public that the Government/Police are investigating with a
view to bringing to book those who might have been involved.

Equally, it is pointless reporting to the Police. They are the suspects who
should be investigated. To report to them will only give them the opportunity to
probe from where the leak might have occurred so that they deal with the
"msaliti" (traitor) the way they dealt with Kiriinya.


Download signed copy of Press Statement dated 8th April 2009


Download signed letter from Paul Muite to Louis Moreno Ocampo on Extra Judicial
Executions in Kenya dated 8th April 2009