ICC: Mutula dismisses Uhuru, Ruto presidential bid

Justice minister Mutula Kilonzo addresses journalists after the official launch of the East African Centre for Human Rights January 18,2012 at Intercontinental Hotel, Nairobi. He dismissed assertions by two presidential aspirants that they will campaign for the top seat irrespective of the International Criminal Court ruling over the post election violence. WILLIAM OERI

Justice minister Mutula Kilonzo has dismissed assertions by two presidential aspirants that they will campaign for the top seat irrespective of the International Criminal Court ruling over the post election violence.

Mr Kilonzo said Finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Eldoret North MP William Ruto pronouncements that an ICC indictment would not halt their presidential ambitions was the height of impunity.

"It is just impunity because you can't take a court of law for granted and we don't know what the court will say," said the Justice minister during the launch of the East African Centre for Human Rights at the Hotel Intercontinental, Nairobi Wednesday.

He said it was "extremely presumptuous to take for granted a court order that has not been issued when they did not know what the judges will say”.

Mr Kilonzo said going by their utterances, the two had shown that they did not have much regard for the Constitution.

"It is unfortunate they appear to say that Chapter Six of the Constitution has no meaning and also ridiculous that they appear to say that the Public Officer Ethics Act has no meaning."

Chapter Six deals with leadership and integrity of state officers.

He urged Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto to refrain from making any presumptuous assumptions with regard to the ICC ruling, expected any time, and to consult their lawyers and “listen to careful legal advice".

On Tuesday, Mr Kenyatta said his campaign to succeed President Kibaki was not hinged on whether or not the ICC will confirm charges of crimes against humanity facing him.

"My campaign is not anchored on the ICC process, but on an agenda that I have for the country. These are processes that will ultimately come to an end and should not derail our campaigns," he said in Nairobi.

Separately, Mr Ruto said he was confident that his latest political vehicle, United Republican Party (URP) would form the next government.

“We are going to mobilise support from every part of the country and make sure we are in the next government... the ICC ruling will not distract my course to change the living standards of Kenyans,” he said.

Mr Kilonzo's remarks come just days before the ICC releases its verdict on Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto and four others alleged to have planned, sponsored and executed the chaos in which 1,133 people were killed and 650,000 uprooted from their homes. (READ: Kenya chaos suspects to know fate on January 23)

The others are Tinderet MP Henry Kosgey, Head of Civil Service Francis Muthaura, Postmaster-General Hussein Ali and radio presenter Joshua arap Sang.