Saturday, March 24, 2012

Gema reveals plans on ICC


By Moses Njagih

Leaders from central Kenya have revealed plans to counter the International Criminal Court on the two cases facing four Kenyans.
A meeting of the Gema community at Jumuia Conference Centre in Limuru Friday confronted the possibility the crimes against humanity charges could rule Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta out of the presidential contest.
From left, Former Starehe MP Maina Kamanda, Energy minister Kiraitu Murungi, and Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta at the Gema meeting in Limuru Friday. [PHOTO: MATIN MUKANGU/STANDARD]
The meeting dubbed Lumuru II resolved to collect over two million signatures to petition the ICC to postpone the ICC to postpone the imminent trial of the four Kenyans facing charges before The Hague until after the General Election to allow free and fair elections. The other three accused are former head of Public Service Francis Muthaura, Eldoret North MP, William Ruto, and radio presenter Joshua arap Sang.
The ICC Appeals Chamber is due to rule on a challenge on jurisdiction filed by the four defendants, which is their last hope to stop trial.
Friday, the ICC intervention featured prominently. Speakers dismissed the court as a political court being used by Western powers to impose their preferred presidential candidate on Kenyans.
Gema co-chairman Lawi Imathiu set the mood of the meeting with a harsh criticism of the court, insisting that the case against Ruto and the three other Kenyans was hinged on a sinister political agenda.
Postponement of case
"That is how we see it (the court) and it is our right to have a perception of our own guided by how we see it operating," said Imathiu.
But it was Energy Minister Kiraitu Murungi who initiated the debate on postponing the case, terming it a common practice within any court proceedings.
Kiraitu said the Universal Declaration of Human Rights gives everyone the right to elect and be elected in a democratic society. He argued that any move to bar Uhuru from running for president would trample on his fundamental rights.
The Imenti South MP termed the cases against the three as a politically motivated. "This is a political case and it will require a political solution. There are political objectives being sought here," said Kiraitu.
Introducing the topic to postpone the trial, Kiraitu said any court has a jurisdiction to delay a case before it in case such an application is made before it.
"We can argue that Uhuru is in a political hospital, and can apply for an adjournment until he comes out of this hospital. The trial should not be made in such a rush as to deny him his fundamental rights to be elected or the same right denied to Kenyans to elect a president of their choice," he argued.
Uhuru intimated that he could make an application for such a postponement to give him time to run for president.
"That is what we will ask for. The West should not think they will impose a leader on us," he said in a brief reference to the plot.
He added: "I am not afraid to go and defend myself at The Hague, but that will not stop me from contesting." Assistant Minister Cecily Mbarire termed the ICC a slaughterhouse. Mbarire and Embakasi MP Ferdinand Waititu said all avenues must be pursued to ensure Uhuru is not locked out of the presidential race.
"I fear that if the process continues as it is going, if we allow him to go, I have a feeling that he would not come back. We should even request that he briefs us before going so that we can make a decision on whether he should go there," said Mbarire.
Apart from the ICC process, the meeting also had to deal with the political division in the community, saying there was need for the region to be under one political party.
Leaders pushed Uhuru to declare the party he would contest on, saying the fragmentation of the region’s political cause was mainly as a result of the many political outfits that its leaders are affiliated to.
Like-minded leaders
But despite grumbling from some members, Uhuru, the national chairman of Kenya’s independence party, Kanu, requested that he be given one month to consult "like-minded leaders" before he names the party.
"You told me to work on that and I have been on it, but I will need to consult further. We can agree to meet here in a month’s time I give you the final report.
"We need to be in a party that also brings in leaders from other region, who have a similar vision. That is why I am talking with them," said Uhuru.
He said failure by the leaders from the Gema community to be under one party has undermined their performance, even in Parliament.
Mathira MP Ephraim Maina, who is also the Central Kenya MPs forum chairman, said that though the region has a large population, it is always difficult to assert itself as it cannot speak in one voice.
"There are other communities that do not have a big population like ours, but they speak in one voice," said Maina.
Maina said that the region should shun legislators from the region who are not following the common cause saying that whoever was not in attendance of the meeting was certainly against the unity of the region.
Uhuru lashed at Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s secretariat over claim ICC suspects ought to have been in detention. He said Kenyans must reject leaders who wish ill to others.
Uhuru said Raila should forget getting public sympathy from Kenyans on his allegations that he was detained and endured suffering in the struggle for second liberation.
Transport Minister Amos Kimunya called on the Gema community to prepare to contribute funds to aid Uhuru’s defence at the ICC. Nairobi Metropolitan Minister Njeru Githae said the region would support Uhuru even if he were detained at
The Hague.
Gichugu MP Martha Karua and her Gatanga counterpart Peter Kenneth – both of who have declared interest in the presidency and who have been perceived as Uhuru’s political opponent in central Kenya politics – did not attend the meeting.
Kenneth said he was not invited and could thus not attend.
Karua, while admitting that it was the right of the members of the community to meet, dismissed the forum as a congregation of a few individuals.
"That is a meeting of few individuals and they have a right to meet, but at the end of the day, each of them has only one vote," she said.
There was drama at the Limuru meeting after a group of youth supporting former Mungiki leader Maina Njenga temporarily disrupted proceedings, demanding that their leader address the meeting.
However, the Gema leaders stood their ground and denied Njenga the chance to talk. Only after the former Mungiki leader had left the precincts accompanied by the youth, did proceedings resume.


No comments:

Post a Comment