Ocampo, Clinton to discuss Kenya

By David Ohito and Susan Anyangu

International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo is set to travel to the US for consultations on how best to handle Kenya’s post-election violence cases.

Ocampo will travel to the US in the last week of this month as the deadline the ICC had handed the Government to enact a special tribunal to try post-election violence suspects expires.

Ocampo has written to Kenya requesting for a meeting with President Kibaki and PM Raila Odinga.

A privately sponsored Bill on special tribunal, tabled by Imenti Central MP Gitobu Imanyara, is before Parliament and MPs are expected to debate it when House resumes sessions.

Yesterday, civil society organisations called on the Government to facilitate Ocampo’s visit to Kenya.

And US envoy Michael Ranneberger said his country will support ICC action against suspects of post-election violence.

"The direction taken by Kenya over the local tribunal is unfortunate. If they cannot get the process done in time, we want and will support the ICC to take action," Ranneberger said, yesterday.

"If Kenya does not act, the ICC should not hold its move on any account. They need to take action regardless of the developments in Parliament over the Imanyara Bill," Ranneberger added.

Special tribunal

Mr Wainaina Ndung’u of the International Centre for Peace and Conflict said: "He (Ocampo) has made it clear there will be a special need for ICC and the Special Tribunal interventions; there is an absolute need for the AU and the international community to accelerate their pressure on the Kenyan Government and Parliament to act on the post-election violence crimes."

In the US, Ocampo will meet Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to draw a road map on action against Kenya.

It will be Ocampo’s second visit to US, and is believed to aim at tying loose ends before acting on the case after the September 30 deadline.

US, Canada, UK and EU diplomatic missions have pressed for a local tribunal that would meet international standards without clauses on immunity.

Last week, at a conference at The Hague, Ocampo said ICC would make good its threat of investigating the Kenyan situation once it receives the final Government report.

"There is no doubt we shall take the necessary steps to begin investigations in Kenya," the ICC prosecutor said.