|PIC1|The National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) has described the hasty deportation of the alleged Armenian mercenaries last Friday, as suspicious.

NCCK Vice Chairperson, Reverend Joseph Murpus said the Government owed Kenyans an explanation saying the extradition of Artur Margaryan and Artur Sargaryan aroused suspicion.

Murpus affirmed that the Government was obliged to clear the mist surrounding the deportation failure to which Kenyans would be forced to believe the Government was covering up something. He said the alleged Armenians had broken the law of Kenya and should have been charged according to those same laws before deportation.

|AD|"The two brothers committed a serious offence, for which they should have been charged as per the laws of this country," said Murpus.

LSK North-Rift Branch Chairman, Robert Limo also said the duo should have been charged in court and deported only after serving their sentences, if found guilty. He said the hurried deportation raised suspicions of a cover-up by the Government.

Bishop Thomas Kogo of the Eldoret Diocese of Anglican Church of Kenya and head of the church's special programmes, Reverend Maritim Rirei said the Government should explain to Kenyans why it had shielded the Artur's throughout their stay in Kenya only to deport them without arraigning them in court.

They called on the Parliament to follow upon the matter with President Mwai Kibaki and Minister for Internal Security, John Michuki.




[Editor's Note: Mwangi Alex reported from Nairobi, Kenya for this article]




Mwangi Alex
Christian Today Correspondent