Ocampo's 50-hour Kenyan swoop

The 2008 violence in Kenya broke out after the disputed re-election of President Kibaki to a second term. The violence led to the death of 1,133 people and the displacement of 650,000 others. The Waki Commission of Inquiry on the violence reported that while some of the violence was sparked by the poll dispute, in some other areas it had been planned.

Mr Moreno Ocampo said that if he were allowed to return to Kenya, his interaction with the victims would be very discreet in an apparent appeal to them to meet him when called to do so. He said the victims’ interviews by the prosecutor were part of the healing process. He also made it clear that he would go for those individuals who bore the greatest responsibility for atrocities against Kenyan civilians.

He added that he was not bound by the list prepared by the Waki Commission, which is said to include Cabinet ministers, MPs and prominent business persons. The ICC prosecutor indicated that the trials could be held in Kenya but gave a strong indication that they may also be based in Arusha where there are “well established systems and facilities.”

The Tanzanian city hosts the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda where suspects involved in the 1994 genocide have been prosecuted. Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo, who played host to Mr Moreno Ocampo, said that he was satisfied with how the matter has developed. “I wish it could have occurred earlier. I wish it could come sooner. If you say it is pre-mature, what about those who died? When will it mature? We want closure,” said Mr Kilonzo.

Elsewhere, Eldoret Catholic Diocese Bishop Cornelius Kipng’eno Korir said that Mr Moreno Ocampo’s trip would have been even more successful if he had met the victims. “I was excited when I heard of his coming. It was really positive. But he ought to have visited the hot spots so that he would have a feel of the victims, especially this North Rift region,” said Bishop Korir, whose diocese hosted more than 32,000 IDPs at the height of post-election violence.

Additional reporting by Jonathan Komen