Imanyara and Raila in dramatic fallout over Bill

Keiyo North MP Lucas Chepkitony said the Bill would not pass. He said Parliament rejected a similar draft brought to the House by former Justice minister Martha Karua and asked why Mr Imanyara was re-introducing it. “(ICC prosecutor) Luis Moreno-Ocampo has been here and we are not afraid of him. This is a matter we concluded and I don’t see why it is coming through the back door,” Mr Chepkitony told the Sunday Nation.

He said ICC should be left to do its work without interference so that the truth about the post-elections violence can be known. Debate on the Bill ended prematurely on Wednesday after MPs stayed away from the House, occasioning a quorum hitch. Only 18 MPs were present during the debate, confirming suspicions of opposition to the local tribunal is still strong in Parliament. The House cannot transact any business once the Chair has been informed there are less than 30 MPs in attendance.

Imanyara moved the private member’s Bill in the afternoon, saying it was the surest way to ensure justice is done. In February, Parliament resoundingly rejected a Government-sponsored Bill with a similar goal. The Cabinet rejected Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo’s plan to table a second set of Bills in July.