Economy

UN urges Kenya to respect Rome Statute

The United Nations and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region want Kenya and Africa to respect the Rome Statue and other international agreements which they are signatories to.

The UN African Region team leader Castro Wesamba told journalists in Mombasa Friday that Kenya is a signatory of the Rome Statute and should let its citizens who are perpetrators of violence be punished as individuals.

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Speaking at Serena Beach Hotel at the start of a two day workshop whose theme is “The role of parliaments of member states of International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) in preventing the crime of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and all forms of discrimination”, the leaders want African governments to be more responsible.

Punished

Said Mr Wesamba, “Crimes are committed by individuals, not any amorphous organization. Each perpetrator of the same violence should be punished.

Kenya is a signatory of the Rome Statute and should let her citizens at the International Criminal Court (ICC) be punished as individuals”, he said.

He said that the ICC was not created to replace local judiciary systems but when they are weak and corrupt, the ICC could be invited to take over certain cases.

“The ICC does not just take over cases. It is invited by local governments or the Security Council when there is no accountability and truth."

Mr Wesamba was answering questions from journalists who wanted an explanation why African states and leaders usually gang up to condemn the ICC when it deals with cases involving African leaders.