In large swathes of our country, it is common for rapists and murderers to make cash compensation to victims and their families as part of what passes for traditional justice.
But that is about to change courtesy of the efforts of Garissa Women Representative Udgoon Kuno, who has, prudently, proposed a new law that will ensure offenders are prosecuted, and agreements reached outside the formal criminal justice system will have no legal effect.
MPs must embrace Kuno’s proposal to put an end to the sinister negotiations families of victims entertain in the name of justice by accepting cash or gifts so criminals can escape the punishments they deserve.
The criminal justice system is a robust and credible institution and has, at its disposal, experienced professional magistrates and judges who will listen dispassionately to evidence and provide reliable and believable verdicts.
Abolishing the informal approach to justice will ensure that the justice victims receive will be consistent with the Constitution of Kenya and meet international justice standards.
In Northeastern, maslaha, the traditional alternative justice system, puts emphasis on compensation and reconciliation that more often than not, especially in rape cases, leaves victims with long-term trauma because they will continue to live side by side with the criminals who either raped or sexually abused them.
Quote of the day: “Thus it is that no cruelty whatsoever passes by without impact. Thus it is that we always pay dearly for chasing after what is cheap.” —Russian writer Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was born on December 11, 1918
