MPs face off on ICC cases, poll violence victims

MPs Friday engaged in a face-off about fate of the accused at the International Criminal Court, and the plight of the victims in the country.

While Jubilee lawmakers accused the civil society of fuelling the charges against President Uhuru Kenyatta, and his deputy William Ruto, the opposition accused the Government of neglecting those displaced.

According to the MPs, the investigations carried out by the civil society regarding the post-election chaos were not conducted well and that witnesses were bought.

Tetu MP and the Chairman of The Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations Ndung’u Gethenji, said the incrimination of the President and his deputy at the ICC, is an affront to the African State.

He also said the civil society’s foreign funding must be cut to 15 per cent and how the funds are spent should be brought to scrutiny.

“The money is received in the name of me and you. Therefore, its use should be scrutinised,” he said. But according to Suba MP John Mbadi, the post-election violence victims should get justice and the cases at the ICC is against individuals and not Kenya.

“We took ourselves to ICC thinking we would get justice. We should not blame the civil society,” said Mbadi.

Speaking at a forum organised by civil society, the MP told leaders to desist from asking the victims of violence to forgive those who led to their suffering.

“Kenyans have a bad habit of forgiving criminals. For how long will we continue forgiving those who even kill publicly?” he asked.

Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria, said: “The civil society must tell us where they got money to buy witnesses.”

Kuria said the people being charged with crime against humanity at The Hague are not the right people.

According to him, the civil society, the media, the religious leaders and any other Kenyan, are responsible for the post-election violence and should face the law.

“Victims of the violence know very well that the President did not harm them in any way. The perpetrators of violence are well-known to them and in fact, all Kenyans are guilty,” said Kuria.

He also said the government should now embark on counselling and compensation of the victims instead of wasting time and resources at the ICC.

Kuria told ICC to stop using Kenya as a marketing tool and a source of funding for cases at the Hague.