Kenyans in US protest over Kalonzo shuttle

Kenyans living in the US on March 9, 2011 participate in a peaceful demonstration outside the UN headquarters as Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka argued for deferral of the post-election violence cases. Photo/COURTESY

NEW YORK - Dozens of Kenyans held a peaceful demonstration in New York yesterday in protest over a campaign to defer the Ocampo Six cases.

The demonstrators waved placards outside the UN headquarters where Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka was meeting UN chief Ban Ki-moon to press for the deferral and criticised the campaign as a waste of energy and taxpayers’ money.

The demonstrators showed pictures of scenes of the post-election violence and called for a speedy trial of the cases at the International Criminal Court.

They later said a prayer and sang the National Anthem before presenting a petition to the Kenyan mission in New York.

“This is a futile campaign. The money should be used to resettle the violence victims and create jobs for the youth,” said Ms Daphine Ogega, one of the organisers.

“We were overwhelmed by the news that the ICC judges had summoned the suspects,” Ms Ogega told the Nation from New York.

ICC judges have summoned the six — Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Head of Public Service Francis Muthaura, Eldoret North MP William Ruto, Tinderet MP Henry Kosgey, former police commissioner Hussein Ali and radio presenter Julius Sang — to The Hague over possible charges relating to the 2008 atrocities.

Another protester, Ms Beatrice Ruto said: “We must stand strong against efforts to defeat justice for violence victims.”

“We want to show our concern that the IDPs should not be forgotten,” said Mr Peter Kerre, another protest organiser.

According to Vice-President Musyoka’s press service, his delegation briefed Mr Ban on Kenya’s quest to put in place a local judicial process to try the suspects.

Mr Musyoka’s delegation comprises Agriculture Minister Sally Kosgei, Higher Education Minister Hellen Sambili and Nairobi Metropolitan Minister Njeru Githae.

The delegation also held discussions with United States UN envoy Susan Rice as well as the French and British permanent representatives to the UN.

Mr Musyoka arrived at the UN headquarters on Monday evening and went straight into a meeting with the president of the Security Council, Mr Li Baodong of China who told him the council had received Kenya’s deferral request.