Jubilee politicians step up campaign to have Uhuru skip The Hague hearing

By GEOFFREY MOSOKU

President Uhuru Kenyatta is under pressure from his allies and supporters not to attend his forthcoming criminal trial at the ICC.

Uhuru’s political allies cite efforts by the African Union and regional presidents, who are opposed to trying a democratically elected president in a foreign land.

Yesterday, Nairobi Senator Mike Mbuvi Sonko, former Kamkunji MP Simon Mbugua and Jubilee county representatives drawn from Nairobi held a press conference to dissuade the President from honouring his date with the Hague-based court.

Embarrassing

“Kenyans overwhelmingly elected His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto in the March 4 General Election, and it would be embarrassing to arraign them in court,” Sonko said.

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The flamboyant senator said members of the Senate and National Assembly have since passed a Motion to withdraw from the Rome Statute, which should be a signal to the ICC that Kenyans are ready to chart their own cause.

Although President Uhuru has reiterated his co-operation with the ICC, the leaders argued that the Kenyan Constitution does not envision a situation where a sitting President is put on trial.

“What we are telling our President is that he should not at all travel to the ICC, having been elected by the people of Kenya to lead. Alternatively, ICC should drop the charges,” Mbugua said.