ICC gets greenlight to set base in Kenya
By Mark Oloo (Nairobi) – Kenya has today signed documents allowing the International Criminal Court to set up base in Nairobi to probe the 2008 post election violence. This now means The Hague based court will expeditiously begin an intensive probe in which it is expected to nail at least two prime suspected masterminds of the political chaos that led to the killing of more than 1300 people.
The signing of the papers yesterday has also given Kenya an opportunity to prove its commitment to the international court, especially following the recent visit by wanted Sudanese president Omar al Bashir to Nairobi, which was read as defiance to the Rome statute. Yesterday Kenya’s cabinet represented by attorney general Amos Wako and ministers Moses Wetangula and James Orengo met ICC Registrar Salvana Arbia in Nairobi and signed documents setting out 16 privileges for the court’s running in Kenya. Victims of the violence are expected to enjoy immunity as the probe gets underway.
