ICC mum over progress on Uhuru finances

By Felix Olick

Nairobi, Kenya: The window period provided to the Government to respond to the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutors regarding President Uhuru Kenyatta’s financial records is fast running out.

ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and Attorney General Githu Muigai have up to Wednesday next week to file an update with the Trial Chamber on the progress of the request — the only barrier standing between Uhuru and his freedom.

But before updating the judges next week, the Government was also directed to notify the prosecution of any problems which may impede or prevent execution of the request.

Tuesday, the prosecutor’s office declined to tell The Standard whether the Government had contacted her office as directed, and instead asked us to direct our question to Prof Muigai who is the Government’s chief legal advisor.

“The OTP cannot speak for the Government and only the Government of Kenya can respond,” Bensouda’s office replied.

Initially, the Government had insisted that the Banking Act, the Central Bank Act as well as the Kenyan Constitution makes it illegal to obtain an individual’s financial records without his/her consent.