BY ONYANGO OLOO

Tribute To Oscar Kingara and GPO Oulu



The Social Democratic Party of Kenya is adding its voice in denouncing the callous murder of two of Kenya's most courageous human rights activists- Oscar Kingara and GPO Oulu who were gunned down on March 5, 2009 near the residence of Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki. There are indications that the assassins may be connected to the Kenya Police given the testimony of some eye-witnesses who described a driver of one of the vehicles involved in the killings as wearing police uniform.

The Social Democratic Party is convinced that the killings of Oscar Kingara and GPO Oulu were directly connected to the advocacy and investigative role of the Oscar Foundation in unearthing concrete evidence linking members of the Kenya Police to extrajudicial killings. We think that it is NOT a coincidence that the Government Spokesman Dr. Alfred Mutua ranted and raved against the Oscar Foundation and uttered public threats against its leaders just hours before Oscar and GPO were shot in cold blood. Given the angry and contemptous dismissal by spokespeople for the police and the military of Prof. Alston' s report on extra-judicial killings, the Social Democratic Party can not rule out the possibility that the latest assassinations could be a clear and direct message to Kenyan human rights defenders to shut up or else face dire consequences. We are very concerned at the loud silence of President Mwai Kibaki on the issue of unlawful killings by our country's law enforcement agencies and consider such silence as constituting complicity in and/or official endorsement of such heinous crimes.

Along with the failure to combat grand graft, feed our people, deliver a new constitution and spearhead sustainable development, the current climate of impunity in dealing extra-judicial killings demonstrate the complete bankruptcy of the Grand Coalition government. In this light, the Social Democratic Party believes that only honourable option left is for President Mwai Kibaki along with his entire cabinet to resign immediately to pave the way for the preparations of fresh elections which must be held under the aegis of a new democratic constitution The Social Democratic Party pledges to liaise with alll patriotic, democracy loving, justice seeking groups and individuals dedicated to the task of building a new Kenya. We wish to convey our sincere mkono wa tanzia (condolences) the families of Oscar Kingara and GPO Oulu.

Sincerely,

Onyango Oloo

Secretary General

Social Democratic Party of Kenya