The Waki (CIPEV) Report and After

The Waki Report is headline news again, after news broke yesterday that Kofi Annan had released the accompanying "Waki's Envelope" to the International Criminal Court at the Hague. The envelope is widely believed to hold the list of 10 leading perpetrators -- the "10 Most Wanted", as it were -- of the post-election violence that erupted across Kenya following the disputed election results of December 2007. Kenyans are excited at the sudden turn of events. Yesterday, in my own first tweet reaction to what Kofi Annan had done, I remarked: "Great day 4 Kenya, now that K. Annan has sent the Waki List to THE HAGUE. Let the nightmare begin 4 the champions of impunity & doublespeak".

The 518-page Waki Report itself does not have the 10 names of The Most Wanted. For those names, we will have to wait a while for ICC's Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo's next few moves. In the meantime, click here to read the complete Waki Report, sans the cover page.

Waki's Envelope has been, to me, key to resolving the issues surrounding Kenya's post-election violence and bringing to an end the completely self-serving and hypocritical to-and-fros that we have witnessed since 2008, as desperate politicians have crudely sought to give cover to impunity and threatened ambitions. Now we'll just have to see how everything turns out. I do think that Kofi Annan's move, yesterday, will be a game-changer of profound proportions for Kenya -- and for Africa.

Vosty (@Vosty) "updated" this tweet yesterday: "Just a thought: Waki List suspects required 2step aside 4investigation! Kibaki/Raila suspects! Then what?" He seemed to worry that the departure to the Hague of a few leaders, including the top two, would rob Kenya of all its leaders -- an obviously untenable prospect. My answer to him, though, is this: We will always find a leader, even leaders, amongst us -- even if there's only one last man or woman standing. And there will be plenty of potentials before that unlikely scenario of The Last Man or Woman. But Vosty clarifies his position in a tweet today as follows: "findin leaders is not ma worry, the mess that r our institutions! Nuthin is clear cut!" Good point!

So, not to worry. I think, though, that we can trace that worry to the media-hogging passions, even pathologies, of our current crop of leaders -- whose effects have been to leave us in "no doubt" that there is no one else out there whom we can choose in their place. But Vosty clarifies his position in a tweet today as follows: "fidin leaders is not ma worry, the mess that r our institutions! Nuthin is clear cut!" Good point! Perhaps, after the Hague, we'll begin to build our institutions in earnest, fully knowing (based on clear evidence before our own eyes) that no one's indispensable.