Kenya plan withdrawal from ICC

  1. Posted on Monday 20 December 2010 - 11:16
    Joyce
    Image of Joyce
    Joyce Joan Wangui, AfricaNews reporter in Nairobi, Kenya
    Kenya's Prime Minister Raila Odinga said that withdrawing Kenya from the Rome Statute is not in line with the new constitution. His remarks came after parliament was sharply divided over the issue of forming a local tribunal to try the six suspects released by ICC chief prosecutor Louis Moreno-Ocampo.
    Louis Morero Ocampo
    The six have been cited as the major suspects of the 2007 post election violence.

    Addressing parliament, Odinga said that withdrawal of Kenya from the Rome statute was unconstitutional. He noted that under the new constitution, all ratified conventions and general rules of the international law 'shall form part of the law of Kenya and the constitution’.

    The Premier was backed by several MPs including the justice and constitutional affairs minister, Mutula Kilonzo who warned that the push to have the country withdraw from the ICC would complicate cases for the Ocampo six.

    “Those who are panicking have not understood the ICC. If we withdraw, our own citizens will be hunted like chickens. We will be putting them under enormous pressure,” he said.

    The issue of The Hague and Rome Statute has brewed bitter exchanges among parliamentarians with some saying that Kenya was better off without the ICC and a section of MPs saying that withdrawing from ICC was a waste of time.

    Some legislators want a local tribunal to try the suspects, saying that Hague is too tough for the suspects. Those in the other camp believe that with proper and fair trials, The Hague has the capacity to indict the six and deliver justice.

    According to the Premier, withdrawal from ICC would take one year to come into effect and does not extricate the country from its obligations while it is still a member.

    “Kenya might face dire consequences from this act; Mps should reconsider their motion thoroughly before embarking on such a move.

    Viable options

    The government is seeking viable options in a bid to save key members of its administration from standing trial at The Hague. One of the options being considered is the immediate appointment of a new Chief Justice, Attorney General, Director of Public Prosecution and the inspector General of Police.

    This, according to sources, will exemplify political will and a strong judiciary that can be trusted to handle post election violence cases. With the new appointments, the government hopes that it can convince the UN and the ICC that it is prepared to conduct credible local trials.

Latest News

  1. OPINION: Welcome to African Green Revolution24/05For the past century and a half, Africa has tried various agricultural approaches without much success.
  2. Egyptians vote in historic election23/05Egyptians began voting freely on Wednesday for the first time to pick their president in a wide open election that pits Islamists against men who serv…
  3. Africa Day 2012 - a moment for reflection and…22/0525th May is Africa Day. For many years it has been a celebration of African unity. It dates back to 1963 when the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) …
  4. South Africa's African agenda21/05The Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Kgalema Mothlanthe paid a rare visit to Ghana in April at the invitation of John Dramani Mahama …
  5. Women struggle to rinse hunger, poverty stains21/05Just looking at her one clearly appreciates that she is old and frail therefore in need of support for food, clothing and shelter to live comfortably …
  6. Climate Climate change affects migratory birds…21/05Changes in the climate globally have affected the movement of both migratory and resident species of birds, Nature Uganda has said.
  7. Ghana: Foreign retailers cited for currency…18/05The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) is attributing the sharp depreciation of the Ghana cedi against major currencies to the illegal activiti…
  8. Kenya: Community radio brings succour to…18/05Korogocho, a slum in northeastern Nairobi with 100,000 inhabitants, had many of the ingredients for a political explosion similar to those that rocked…
  9. Veld fires 'flame' Zimbabwe's…16/05Over the years, Zimbabwe has experienced the scourge of veld fires destroying property worth thousands of dollars.
  10. Liberia commends ECOWAS for support14/05The induction training of pioneer Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Volunteers for Liberia kicked off in Monrovia, with the Deputy Mi…
  11. Vanishing Lake Chad puts 30m lives at risk14/05As you approach the Lake Chad basin from Maiduguri, in north-eastern Nigeria, the evidence of despair is telling.
  12. Heavy rains cause havoc in Kenya14/05Heavy Rainfall continued to wreak havoc across the country leading to the suspension of relief food in some parts of the country as most roads in Turk…
  13. Zimbabwe: Growth points lie dormant14/05The Zimbabwean government mooted the concept of growth points in the 1980s as a means of decongesting cities and towns.
  14. Sierra Leone improves in infant mortality11/05Sierra Leone has improved in infant mortality cases according to Save the Children- World Motherhood index 2012 report. The West Africa country descri…
  15. Zimbabwe: Resettled farmers fail to utilize…10/05Resettled farmers in Zimbabwe are failing to utilize land due to inadequate farming inputs and lack of resources.
News archive