Bensouda should hold her horses in extraditing 3 Kenyans accused of witness tampering

A few days ago, the ICC trial chamber delivered the much-awaited ruling on the only remaining Kenyan case. By a majority, the judges ruled in favour of Deputy President William Ruto and journalist Joshua Sang'.

Kenyans would immediately come out in large numbers to celebrate the ruling. Tellingly, the celebrations started in Eldoret, which was the epicentre of the post-election violence.

So far, the Uhuru Kenyatta administration has made great strides in terms of addressing the plight of the victims.

The verdict on the Ruto/Sang case did not go down well with ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda. In her reaction, she faulted the two judges, terming the decision a serious blow to the victims.

All along, the victims had been crying that they wanted justice. With the end of the case, where will they get it now? Notably, on one hand Bensouda argued that she had a strong and watertight case against the duo.

As such, the evidence in her possession would have enabled her to secure a conviction and the victims considered for compensation and reparations from ICC trust fund.

But on the other hand, she blamed witness tampering and intolerable political meddling for the collapse of her case.

For now, the Prosecutor wants the Government to fulfil its obligations under the Rome Statute by extraditing three Kenyans to face justice at the ICC.

The prosecutor believes they grossly interfered with her witnesses and as such blame them for the collapse of the Ruto/Sang case.

It would amount to miscarriage of justice if the Government succumbs to the ICC machinations to surrender the three Kenyans before their cases are heard and determined.