Jubilee says UK has ill motive for Kenya

Britain was Wednesday accused of harbouring “a lot of ill motive and bad faith” in its actions regarding Kenya.

(VIDEO: ICC cases strain Kenya, UK relations)

The heads of the Jubilee Coalition pointed the accusing finger ahead of the Assembly of State Parties to the Rome Statute at The Hague.

Led by Majority Leader Aden Duale, they said they had withdrawn an approved request to have the National Assembly suspend business to discuss relations with the UK until after the meeting over the International Criminal Court.

Speaking to the Press at Parliament Buildings, the coalition leaders said they would wait until after the assembly, at which the proposal by the African Union to give heads of state immunity against prosecution will be discussed.

They however dwelt on the fact that the United Kingdom abstained from voting for Kenya at the United Nations Security Council and has proposed to have the assembly approve trials via video link.

“We sense and we have sensed a lot of ill motive and bad faith in the actions of Britain, who tried yesterday to amend the agenda of the Assembly of State Parties, ignoring, in a very condescending manner, a resolution by the 33 African states who had tabled an agenda,” said Johnson Sakaja (Nominated, TNA).

Mr Sakaja said they were suspicious of the speed with which Britain moved from abstaining at the Security Council to proposing the amendment to the Rome Statute.

“The past few days have also given us an opportunity to re-evaluate our foreign policy. Foreign policy is governed and anchored on mutual interest. The days of colonialism and patronising relations between countries are over,” said Mr Sakaja.

Defence and Foreign Relations Committee chairman Ndung’u Gethenji said Kenya now has information that the AU request that no sitting head of state or person capable of acting so should be tried, would be considered.