Arcadia Foundation

From Nairobi, it is being reported that thieves have stolen computers from a Kenyan charity helping with an inquiry into election-related violence.

Ndung’u Wainaina, Executive Director of the International Centre for Policy and Conflict, told the BBC and Capital FM Kenya that the break-in appeared to be linked to the riot probe.

Activists have accused the government of doing little to catch the leading perpetrators of the violence.

Some 1,300 people died and tens of thousands were displaced as political differences snowballed into ethnic score-settling in weeks of violence following the 2007 election.

The computers were stolen from the offices of the International Centre for Policy and Conflict (ICPC) located in Nairobi’s Hazina Towers.

Mr. Wainaina said he discovered the theft on Tuesday morning when he reported to work.

“The doors were open, and I realised the lights were on. Immediately I sensed danger and when I checked, for computers were missing,” Mr Wainaina said. “I suspect the people who stole them (computers) must have used master keys because the doors were not broken,” he added.

“Looking at the things they have stolen, like the computers, our conclusion is that these are people who were looking for data and information in regard to specific things,” Mr Wainaina said.

He said his organisation: “has also worked on issues touching on potential witnesses and victims. We have been holding quite a series of meetings particularly when ICC wanted to get witnesses’ views, we really helped victims prepare their views and transmit them. We were the lead organisation in terms of the special tribunal right from the beginning last year and also this time around we have also dealt a lot on issues touching on the Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission, so we know that the kind of information we have been handling is information that is of interest to many people”.

Police commander Richard Muguai noted that “the matter is now under the CID and investigations are underway.”

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