President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga have reassured of Government's commitment to cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in dealing with perpetrators of the post-election violence but maintained that a local judicial mechanism was still possible.

In a joint statement issued Thursday after meeting ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, President Kibaki and the Prime Minister said the Government remained committed to cooperating with the ICC within the framework of the Rome Statute and the International Crimes Act.

"We have had a constructive meeting with Mr. Louis Moreno- Ocampo, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The discussions were candid and frank," said the statement in part.

The President and the Prime Minister said the Government remained fully committed to discharging its primary responsibility in accordance with the Rome Statute to establish a local judicial mechanism to deal with the perpetrators of the post election violence.

President Kibaki and the Prime Minister said they were fast-tracking necessary reforms to ensure that the country does not experience election violence again.

"We will cooperate with the International Criminal Court to ensure that those who bear the responsibility for crimes committed during the post-election conflict are brought to justice," the leaders said.

On his part, Mr. Ocampo said he was impressed by the Government's efforts to prevent a recurrence of post-election violence.

He said that during his meeting with the President and Prime Minister he discussed and explained how he intended to execute his mandate in relation to the perpetrators of post-election violence, ICC Prosecutor said he intends to request the ICC judges to open investigations on the Kenyan situation this December.

Mr. Ocampo pointed out that ICC seeks to help Kenya deal with those who bear responsibility for the post election violence.

Present during the meeting were Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs Minister Mutula Kilonzo, Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetangula, Lands Minister James Orengo, Internal Security Minister Prof. George Saitoti and Attorney-General Amos Wako among others.



PPS
Nov 05, 2009