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Protestors root for local tribunal

NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 3 – A section of the civil society has now thrown its weight behind the deferment of the International Criminal Court case against Kenyan suspects.

The group under the banner of Kenyans for Justice, Peace and Reconciliation on Thursday said that with the new constitution and a reformed judiciary, Kenya would have a credible mechanism to deal with the perpetrators of the violence.

Spokesman Richard Kavemba said Kenya should restore its dignity and protect its sovereignty by having a local judicial mechanism.

"We must restore our national pride and dignity in the league of nations by having confidence in ourselves and creating credible domestic institutions," said Mr Kavemba.

He added: "It is imperative that the route we take in bringing justice to the victims and suspects of the violence does not tear our country apart."

The group stated that it was the youth, children and women who bore the brunt of the violence.

The activists hailed a local solution and poured scorn on those opposed to the formation of a local tribunal.

The group held demonstrations in the centre of Nairobi and claimed that some Non-Governmental Organisations supporting the ICC trials were serving foreign masters.

"Kenyans should not be lorded over by organisations that are serving the interests of foreign masters to experiment with our lives," said Mr Kavemba.

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He added that majority of Kenyans were tired of empty politics and wanted better living standards.

Kenya successfully lobbied African States to ask the United Nations Security Council to defer investigations into the post-election violence and the looming indictment of six suspected perpetrators to give the government time to establish a local judicial mechanism.

The resolve was unanimously adopted by the African Union Summit held between January 30-31.

The deferral would last for a year during which Kenya is expected to show commitment to charging those behind the bloody violence that left over 1,500 people dead and displaced another 600,000 people.

The International Criminal Court Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo has named six key suspects who he is seeking to indict.

They are Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, the Head of the Public Service Francis Muthaura and former police commissioner Hussein Ali. Others are MPs William Ruto, Henry Kosgey and radio presenter Joshua arap Sang.

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