Kalonzo Musyoka warns against ICC withdrawal

Former VP Kalonzo Musyoka (centre), Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama (right) and Makueni Women’s Representative Rose Museo (left) at Kwangumu Primary School in Kilome constituency.  [Photo:  Paul Mutua/Standard]

By Onesmus Nzioka

Makueni, Kenya: Former Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka has warned President Uhuru Kenyatta against sanctioning a move to withdraw Kenya from the Rome Statute.

Speaking at Kilome constituency during the homecoming party of Makueni Women Representative Rose Museo, Kalonzo said withdrawing Kenya from the International Criminal Court (ICC) is not in the best interests of the country.

“I went around the world asking for the return of the cases home so that suspects could be tried through a local judicial process and I should not be misquoted that I was seeking for a withdrawal from the Rome Statute,” said Kalonzo.

He warned Uhuru that history would judge him harshly if he signed into law a bill that is set to be tabled in Parliament seeking to withdraw the country from ICC.

“I want to warn the President that he would set a bad precedent if he signs into law that ill timed bill. This country is not ready for such a move,” said the former VP.

He said if Jubilee, through its ‘tyranny of numbers’, succeeds in withdrawing the country from the ICC, the CORD would rescind the decision and resign the statute if it forms the next government.

The former VP warned that the country would lose major international investors as it will be perceived to have renounced international covenants.

He said this would work against the achievement of Vision 2030 that the country’s development is pegged on, and that requires huge capital input from both local and international investors.

He said Kenya as a country is not on trial and told off Jubilee MPs who he accused of portraying the ICC issue as a national matter, when it is only three Kenyans facing trial at the international court.

Makueni senator Mutula Kilonzo Jnr warned Jubilee MPs that they were misadvising and misleading the President, adding that the 2010 Constitution recognises all international treaties, and seeks to protect them.

He challenged the president and his deputy to humbly face the process at ICC, saying that if they are innocent as they claim, then they will be vindicated.

Kibwezi East MP, Jessica Mbalu said the motion to debate the pullout from the Rome Statute came at the wrong time when Kenyans are shackled under the burden of soaring food prices.

“When the Majority Leader convened an emergency sitting, I knew we were going to debate the remedies for the soaring food prices. It came as a surprise that we were only debating issues affecting only three Kenyans when 40 million Kenyans are feeling brunt of increased commodity prices,” said Mbalu.