CORD leaders urge President Uhuru Kenyatta to attend trial

By JAMES MBAKA

KENYA: Two CORD legislators have termed as futile and ill-advised the African Union (AU) resolution seeking for deferral of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Senator Chris Obure and South Mugirango MP Manson Nyamweya have instead urged President Kenyatta to submit to The Hague-based court to vindicate himself.

Speaking separately to The Standard, the two warned that if the President fails to show up at the ICC, the decision would have far-reaching political and economic implications to the country.

They warned that the course advanced by the AU was a dangerous precedent likely to backfire.

They said President Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto, who is currently attending his trial at the ICC, have so far cooperated with The Hague-based court and warned them against adopting a non-cooperation approach with the ICC.

Obure said Kenya had submitted itself to the ICC after Parliament shot down efforts to institute a local tribunal to try the post-election violence suspects.

“We cannot engage ourselves in an endless vicious circle of trying to avoid justice, while Kenya failed to form a local tribunal to process the cases, the hope of many Kenyans of ever finding justice lies with the ICC,” said Obure.

Nyamweya, on his part, questioned the motive of the AU to push for a withdrawal from the Rome Statute that established the ICC.

He said Parliament would reject any move to withdrawal the country from the Rome Statute.