Kabuga Still Holed Up in Kenya, Says US
The East African Standard (Nairobi)
February 5, 2003 Eliud Chisika
The US Government yesterday said Rwandese fugitive Felicien Kabuga is still
in Kenya and efforts to arrest him have intensified. US ambassador to Kenya,
Mr Johnnie Carson declared that both governments have intensified their
collaboration "to arrest Kabuga and bring him to justice."
Carson was speaking at the Nairobi University College of Health Sciences
where he was the Guest of Honour during the launch of the Medical
Information Centre. "We have been consulting and efforts to catch him
(Kabuga) have been intensified" he said.
Carson however regretted that the Rwandese mastermind of the genocide
which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people "has remained
at large." He however said Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) agents and
Kenya police detectives had every reason to believe that he was still hiding in
the country.
Carson further said it was regrettable that the hunt for Kabuga had already
resulted in the death of one innocent person. He said there were however no
conclusive leads yet on the death of an informer, William Munuhe, who
was found murdered after he tried to lure Kabuga into arrest.
He said the US government would not allow Kabuga to continue with his
genocide activities on the international stage. "It is the responsibility of the
Kenyan authorities to catch him. We have been given the assurance by
President Kibaki and the Minister in Charge of Internal Security here. We
believe he will be arrested," he said.
Kabuga has a US $5 million bounty on his head and has been reported by US
authorities to be hiding in the country at the behest of top local officials.
A former Permanent Secretary has already been interrogated after US
authorities revealed that he was part of the scheme to shield Kabuga.
Meanwhile the US ambassador yesterday hinted that Kenya would soon
become a respected voice in the continent following the successful conclusion
of the recent General Election .
He said the elections had given the country a ticket to "claim its place as a key
global player and a respected democratic voice internationally".
The ambassador said the openness of the Government headed by President
Mwai Kibaki had sent new hope within the international community that
Kenya can be trusted once more.
"Every nation in the world gives Kenya its due respect. The changes brought
by the elections have surely elevated the country to new heights," said Carson.
The envoy said the new steps being taken by the Government to introduce
change would receive support of the US government in all areas.
