Six MPs tell President Uhuru Kenyatta not to attend ICC trial

 

President Uhuru Kenyatta receives gifts at the homecoming  of Interior Secretary, Joseph ole Lenku in Loitokitok, Saturday. [PHOTO: PETERSON GITHAIGA]

By AUGUSTINE ODUOR and JACOB NGETICH

Loitokitok, Kajiado: Six Members of Parliament yesterday urged President Uhuru Kenyatta not to appear before judges at the International Criminal Court at The Hague.

The six among them Katoo ole Metito (Kajiado South), Mary Wambui (Othaya) and Joseph Nkaissery (Kajiado Central) were speaking when they accompanied the President at the homecoming ceremony of Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph ole Lenku in Loitokitok.

At the same time, President Uhuru supported Inspector General David Kimaiyo’s views that local media allegedly misreported the Westgate mall attack. He said local journalists reported recklessly instead of acting responsibly and within the law to protect the families of those who were affected by the tragedy. He refuted claims that Kimaiyo’s remarks were meant to curtail media freedom because of how some journalists had covered the Westgate mall attack.

“Kimaiyo only cautioned over coverage that appeared to give too much publicity to the attackers,” said Uhuru.He appealed to the journalists to be sensitive to the families of those either killed or injured in such attacks.

“I have been to many countries, but I have never seen TV footage aired live as people are being shot,” said the President. He said the security forces were devoted to tackling criminals, therefore, they should be respected because they sacrificed to protect the country.

Fourth estate

“For the Fourth Estate don’t be people who glorify ‘criminals who want to harm Kenyans, do not demoralise our security officers, they have my full support because security is key to all of us,” said Kenyatta.

 “You can say press freedom, mimi mtanitusi mpaka ngombe warudi kwa boma na mimi sitashtuka, mimi sitajali (you will abuse me until the cows come back to the shed, I will not be cowed, and I will not care),” he added.

The President told the media houses that even when they showed pictures on televisions they must be humane.

“They have children and siblings and we must respect their feelings, don’t praise criminals,” he said.

On the International Criminal Courts (ICC) cases against him, Kenyatta was cagey in talking about it and instead noted he agreed with MPs present who told him to skip the ICC trials.

“Hiyo mambo wenzangu wameongea sitaki kuongea zaidi, tuko hapa hapo laini hiyo, (I would not like to comment more from what my friends have said”) he said.

The Hague issue

He was referring to earlier speeches by Members of Parliament who asked him to skip the ICC trials, which will begin on 12th of November at The Hague in Netherlands.

The National Alliance (TNA) MPs met last week and resolved that the President must not go to The Hague.

“The party MPs agreed that they will not allow you to go, if you go against the party position, then you know the consequences,” Ole Metito, who is the immediate former Internal Affairs minister, told the President.

Maj Gen (rtd) Nkaissery, told Kenyatta: “Over 6 million Kenyans voted for you when they clearly knew that you had a case to answer and the ICC, we will not allow you to go there.”

Biggest court

Onesmus Ngunjiri, Bahati MP agreed with the Nkassery’s statement and added that the biggest court was the vote that Uhuru received in the March 4 General Election. “We want the world to know that Kenya is a sovereign state and independent, we will camp at the airport not to allow you to leave the country,” added TNA Nominated MP Peris Tobiko.

Othaya MP, Mary  Wambui said that Kenyans would not be led by colonialists and warned that no plane will leave the country carrying the Kenyan President to The Hague.

“We elected you the President of Kenya and you have a duty to serve Kenyans therefore you must not go to The Hague because the electorate expect you to serve them,” she said.

Joseph Limo new MP for Kipkelion East said they would consider whether the Deputy President William Ruto should continue attending the trial sessions at The Hague.

Ruto has been attending his trials since September and his trials will go on a break on November 1. Already five witnesses have testified in a case he was accused together with Radio Journalist Joshua arap Sang.