NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 28 – President Mwai Kibaki on Friday held talks with visiting ICC political ambassador Christian Wenaweser and maintained that the country should be allowed to try key post election chaos suspects locally.
The Head of State told ambassador Wenaweser who is the President of the Assembly of the State Parties of the International Criminal Court that Kenya was committed to ensure justice is done to victims of the poll chaos.
He said the government had undertaken various crucial reforms in key sectors to ensure justice prevails.
"The government has prepared Bills including the Judicial Service Bill 2011, the Vetting of Judges and Magistrates Bill 2011, to be tabled in Parliament to reform the Judiciary, the Police and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions," a statement from the President\’s office said.
He also assured him of the Kenya\’s commitment to the Rome Statute and that the country was not intending to pull out of the ICC.
"His Excellency the President of the Republic of Kenya reiterated that Kenya is still a Member of State Parties to the Rome Statute," the statement said.
He added that the government was focused in ensuring that a proper local judicial mechanism is put in place to try suspects accused of planning and financing the post election violence that rocked the country in 2008.
"Kenya has taken and will continue to implement measures to establish national judicial mechanisms to deal with and try post-election violence suspects within the framework of the Constitution of Kenya and the Rome Statute under the principle complementarity," the President said.
President Kibaki met him a day after ambassador Wenaweser expressed frustrations at setting up appointments with senior government officials whom he had come to meet.
Mr Wenaweser was in the country to meet senior officials in government and representatives of the civil society to discuss issues surrounding Kenya\’s intention to seek a deferral of cases facing six individuals named as masterminds of the poll chaos.
The meeting at the President\’s office at Harambee House was also attended by Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo, Lands Minister James Orengo, Attorney General Amos Wako, and Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Richard Onyonka.
The Head of State told the Visiting ICC ambassador that all the government\’s actions in relation to the ICC cases were all within the law.
"His Excellency the President of the Republic of Kenya assured Christian Wenaweser that actions that have been taken by the government in respect of post-election violence are fully in compliance with Rome Statute," the statement added.
During the meeting, the Head of State also "acknowledged that pursuit of justice should be seen in the context of peace, national cohesion, reconciliation and respect for national dignity and sovereignty."
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