Nyandarua Governor Francis Kimemia responded to claims made in a controversial book by a former Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) commissioner that he attempted to alter the TJRC report.
Governor Kimemia, who was Secretary to the Cabinet at the time, strongly refuted the claim insisting that the author of the book, Ron Slye, was gravely mistaken.
"There was nothing of that sort. First I was not a commissioner.
"Second, I could not have called all the commissioners to do their work. Third, why did he have to wait for all the years to make the allegation?" Kimemia stated.
He further advised Mr Slye to "re-examine his mental status" over the damning accusations.
The book titled "The Kenyan TJRC: An outsiders View From the Inside" was also received with mixed reactions from a number of the commissioners who have been mentioned therein.
According to Commissioner Ahmed Farah, who was adversely mentioned in the book, Slye was a fraud who "pretended to know much but he did not know anything".
"He has the right to write what he wants to write but I used to tell him the truth. I told him we were colonised by the British but we would not accept to be colonised by the Americans. I also told him to go write the truth report of the Americans.
"He wanted us to abuse Mzee Kenyatta over small issues, which were not going to add any value. And even if that were true (that Kenyatta grabbed land) you do not say it that openly… you have to understand the history of the country," Farah revealed.
Prof Tom Ojienda corroborated Governor Kimemia's statement explaining that the commissioners worked fairly well aside from a few disagreements.
"It’s true that I never used to take an obvious, predictable stance on any issue. This indeed is a true reflection of who I am as a liberal and free-mind who is not chained to a particular camp.
"I did not receive any call from either Kimemia or OP or discuss any changes with anybody outside the commission. All the changes were based on the mandate of the commission and in pursuit of objective truth, not sensation," Ojienda explained.
