Former TJRC chair Bethuel Kiplagat. capitalfm.co.keFormer Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) Chairman Ambassador Bethuel Kiplagat died after a long illness at a Nairobi hospital on Friday aged 81.
Kiplagat, before his curtain fell had served as a diplomat and at senior positions at the public service.
He served as TJRC chairman between 2009 and 2010 before he resigned after coming under investigation for alleged past human rights abuses, specifically his role in the 1984 Wagalla massacre in North Eastern Kenya.
He was reappointed to head TJRC in 2012 despite objections from other members of the Commission.
Before joining TJRC, he served as Kenya’s special envoy to Somalia peace talks from 2003 to 2005 and headed the African Medical and Research Foundation between 1991 and 2003.
Prior to that, he served in former President Daniel Moi’s government for 13 years from 1978 to 1991 as Kenya’s high commissioner to France and Britain as well as permanent secretary in the Foreign Affairs ministry.
Kiplagat was adversely linked to the Wagalla massacre in which hundreds of people were killed in Wajir as others were tortured by security forces in the volatile region. At the time of the massacre, he was serving as foreign affairs permanent secretary.
In August 2016, he wrote to the Director of Public Prosecution telling him to conduct fresh investigations into the Wagalla killings after he was implicated.
He was born on November 20, 1936 and will be remembered for his super leadership as executive director of Africa Peace Forum.Kiplagat, before his death worked as a private consultant on peace and conflict resolution.
He will also be remembered as one of the few Kenyans who sat in the Kenya Intelligence Committee.