Envoy wants chaos kingpins tried locally

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By ANTONY GITONGA

Hours to the arrival of ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, Israel has asked the Government to form a local tribunal to prosecute post-election violence suspects.

Deputy ambassador Maor Elbaz Starinsky said his country supported calls to have suspects tried in Kenya.

Mr Starinsky said those involved in the violence should be tried irrespective of their positions in Government.

He welcomed Moreno-Ocampo’s visit, saying he was optimistic the meeting between him and the principals would be fruitful.

"I hope the meeting will be useful and that at the end of the day, there shall be a common decision," he added.

hard decisions

However, Starinsky warned the international community would be observing the situation keenly.

He added: "We don’t plan to pressurise Kenya, but I am sure the President and the Prime Minister know what is at stake."

Starinsky was speaking to the Press at Dairy Training Institute in Naivasha after the closure of a course on poultry production. He admitted the Government faced an uphill task in the chaos trials.

"Every government has its own problems, but it is up to the coalition to take hard decisions," he said.

On Tuesday, President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga met behind closed doors to discuss how their date with Ocampo would proceed.

Pressure from the international community has been piling on the two leaders over reforms and prosecution of violence suspects.