The Members of parliament attending the Assembly of State Parties include four from the Delegated Legislation Committee and three from the Legal Affairs Committee accompanied by the Attorney General and the Kenyan ambassador to The Hague/FILE
While lauding the decision by ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda to withdraw charges against Kenyatta, Kiharu MP Irungu Kang’ata said seven MPs will be accompanying the Attorney General to ICC Assembly of State Parties in New York, where they will present a proposal on Kenya’s engagement with the ICC with regard to compensation of individuals whose cases have been dropped.
“You heard the other day (Francis) Muthaura saying he used to pay Sh30 million to his lawyers per month, when you talk of Sh30 million and you don’t get any compensation for that it is unfair… so one of the proposals that personally I intend to take there is the issue of if you are acquitted, how should you be compensated,” said Kang’ata.
Kandara MP Alice Wahome on her part stated that it was time the International Criminal Court was held to account over its spending of the funds it receives saying some it was being used fraudulently.
“They have used serious funding which belongs to state parties during the trial we also need to hold them to account… because they have been used to secure false witnesses, briefcase NGOs with funny political agendas that they have been hoping to execute,” Wahome posed.
The Members of Parliament attending the Assembly of State Parties include four from the Delegated Legislation Committee and three from the Legal Affairs Committee accompanied by the Attorney General and the Kenyan ambassador to The Hague.
While declining to disclose the details of the proposals, Kang’ata said they were in the best interest of all parties involved in the case.
Kang’ata was joined by five other MPs who could not contain their excitement over the news saying the decision would change the face of Kenya’s politics.
“Politically this case has been used by our opponents to press for the resignation of the President and deputy and even before the previous election, cases had been filed against them, but this indictment brings Kenya to another level. We are now telling our worthy opponents that they can prepare for a very serious political contest,” said Alice Wahome, Kandara MP.
The legislators further urged Bensouda to take the bold step and end the case against Deputy President William Ruto and former broadcaster Joshua arap Sang.
They also dismissed the notion that other charges could be brought against the President saying the decision drop the case was a tactic used by lawyers across the world to simply save face and avoid embarrassment.
“I do not expect that there would be a return, this would be a travesty of justice,” Wahome added.
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