Mutula under fire over remarks on chaos probe

By David Ochami

Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo says he is not the official Government spokesman on international crimes, as MPs accused him of misleading Kenyans on investigations by the International Criminal Court.

Mutula said Internal Security Minister George Saitoti should provide official statements on the matter but added he would not be "gagged" over debate on ICC. Saitoti will issue a statement on ICC and the nature of the court’s cooperation with the Government on Thursday next week.

Mutula has lately made controversial statements on ICC and its activities, including suggesting the court should halt its probe here because the new laws provide a framework to try international crimes locally.

Yesterday, the Justice minister failed to provide a statement sought by Garsen MP Danson Mungatana over co-operation with the ICC over probe on post-election violence.

Immunity deal

Last week, Mr Mungatana asked Mutula to disclose the co-operation and immunities agreement signed between Kenya and ICC.

This followed reports key people in Cabinet and security agencies had refused to provide information on police operations, deployments and movement during the post-election violence. But no statement was issued and Mutula was not in Parliament in time to respond. But Mungatana argued any minister sitting in the Cabinet’s sub-committee on international crimes could answer the question.

Gwassi MP John Mbadi and Chepalungu’s Isaac Ruto accused the minister of issuing misleading statements outside Parliament on ICC.