Serut weeps as he tells TJRC of his close shave

Former Mt Elgon MP John Serut sobbed on Monday as he told the truth team how he was almost killed at the height of militia activities in the area.

Mr Serut said he was shot at by members of the Sabaot Land Defence Force (SLDF) militia but the bullet missed him narrowly.

He told the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission that he knew his assailants, but nothing had been done to them although he had reported the incident.

He denied any involvement with a group called Moorland, a militia group that was said to have been operating in the area alongside Janjawit and the SLDF.

The wrong hands

The former MP said many people who gave information to the police were killed after the officers disclosed their identities to the militia.

“The information we gave to the police ended up in the wrong hands. That is why many people were killed.”

Several of his relatives among them an assistant chief, he said, were killed by the SLDF at the height of the militia activities in 2008.

He said despite numerous reports to the authorities, no action was taken.

Mr Serut accused former MP Wilberforce Kisiero of misleading the government on the identities of the perpetrators of the mayhem.

“I was shocked when the government I was serving started investigating me.”

He said former Internal Security minister John Michuki also decided to sideline him in the quest for a solution to the problem.

“I was barred from attending meetings the minister held while he toured the area despite my being in government.”

He said he almost resigned but was afraid his security detail would be withdrawn, putting his life at greater risk.

“I had to choose between resigning and putting my life and that of my family at risk. I chose to stay in government,” Mr Serut said.

The commissioners told him to stop mentioning names when he accused current MP, Mr Fred Kapondi, of having a hand in the attacks on civilians.

Defending the army against any wrongdoing, he said the situation called for military intervention.

He said he had recommended that a military base be set up in the area when the violence broke out.

He also called for the deployment of homeguards to help the military identify the perpetrators of the atrocities.

Mr Serut said the army should not leave the area because SLDF had not been flushed out.

On his part, Mr Kapondi said he had four cases in court relating to the Mt Elgon mayhem and giving evidence to the TJRC may lead to fresh prosecution.

TJRC chairperson Tecla Namachanja, however, said the team had the capacity to recommend fresh prosecution, pointing out that the evidence was enough to sustain prosecution in some cases.