Jubilee MPs led by National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale (seated left) and his Senate counterpart Kithure Kindiki address a press conference at Parliament Buildings Wednesday where they faulted the ICC on leakage claims in President Uhuru Kenyatta’s case. [PHOTO: BONIFACE OKENDO/STANDARD] NAIROBI, KENYA: Jubilee MPs launched a fresh attack on the International Criminal Court (ICC) after judges reprimanded the Kenya government for allegedly leaking confidential information related to President Uhuru Kenyattas case. Close to 50 MPs allied to the ruling coalition accused the ICC of making the ruling to set the stage for a finding of non-compliance against Kenya and advance what they alleged is a political conspiracy against President Kenyatta and Deputy President William Rutos Jubilee government. ICC judges are scheduled to rule on whether the Kenya government is guilty of obstructing investigations by the prosecution in the case against the Head of State after prosecutors claimed they were unable to secure records of Uhurus wealth and telephone conversations. But Uhurus lawyers have sought a termination of his case for lack of evidence and the ruling is expected any time. In their carefully choreographed tirade Wednesday, the Jubilee leaders attacked the ICC, alleging an international plot to block Uhuru and his deputy from staying in power beyond the 2017 General Election. Majority Leader in the National Assembly Aden Duale and his Senate colleague Kithure Kindiki led close to 50 MPs, including senators, to a news conference at Nairobis Parliament buildings at which they declared the ruling coalition is fed up with the ICC. They claimed the court was trying to paint the Government as uncooperative and termed the latest warning from the ICC judges over leaking of confidential information by the Government a desperate and bizarre allegation. They said the information made public during the status conference a fortnight ago was released by the court and therefore the Government should not bear the blame. To term something deliberately presented in the public domain as a leakage is dishonest and absurd, said Duale. The lawmakers defended their bosses and warned the international court to expect a duel at the Assembly of States Parties meeting due in December. They appeared to be banking on the numerical strength of African countries in the Assembly to bludgeon the court and the judges into submission: that it had no case against the top two Kenyan leaders and former journalist Joshua arap Sang. The need for truth and justice is real and raw, and not some theoretical thesis to be debated at the leisure of cynics and political operatives. The country and victims do not need a process aimed at political machination. Enough is enough! said Duale. The President and his deputy have pending cases at the court for their alleged role in the 2007/08 post-poll violence. However, in the President Kenyattas case, the prosecutor has conceded there is not enough evidence to proceed to trial, citing the Jubilee governments alleged refusal to fully disclose Uhurus wealth and records of his telephone conversations during the period of the violence. Duale and Kindiki stuck to the Jubilee administrations script that there were politicians and activists behind the cases and these groups were keen to oust Jubilee from power in 2017.
Posted on: Thu, 23 Oct 2014 06:50:37 +0000