We’ll arrest suspects, Big Two tell Ocampo

Key post-election violence suspects will be arrested and handed over to the International Criminal Court, President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga promised on Wednesday.

They were also categorical that difficulties facing the implementation of the new Constitution will soon be resolved.

The two assurances, sources said, were given to ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo and former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan in separate meetings with the two principals at Harambee House.

The sessions, on the eve of the stock-taking meeting on the two years of the Grand Coalition, were held before President Kibaki flew to Arusha for a regional meeting on food security. Mr Annan was first to meet the two leaders at 10am, before the ICC prosecutor arrived at 11.30am.

During the talks, Mr Moreno-Ocampo briefed them on the progress made on the investigations and the next steps he intends to take.

He has since indicated that he would seek summons for six suspected perpetrators of the 2008 violence before the end of the year.

Mr Moreno-Ocampo arrived in the country on Tuesday to join Mr Annan in the Kenya National Dialogue and Reconciliation Conference that would review performance of the coalition government in the last two years.

In his meeting with the principals, Mr Annan is said to have called for implementation of the new Constitution saying it “holds the promise for the Kenyan people.”

A statement from the Presidential Press Service after Mr Moreno-Ocampo met the principals said: “After briefing the two leaders on the progress he is making on the investigations in Kenya, he was assured of the government’s commitment to supporting the work of the ICC.”

Mr Annan and the two principals discussed the progress the government and Kenyans had made in the reform agenda.

“The President and the PM discussed the progress in the implementation of the Constitution and noted that the government was on the right track in its reform agenda,” the statement said.