Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala has been kicked by two top lawyers over the role he played a decade ago when he received ousted Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir.
Working in the same docket, Balala, without the knowledge of his ODM party then, ushered in Al-Bashir, who had been summoned by International Criminal Court over suspected genocide in Darfur region.
"We would like to point out to Kenyans, and the international community as a whole, that this was indeed a very unfortunate visit that could put into question the commitment of the Government to implement the Constitution of the Second Republic in letter and spirit," said Nyong’o Peter, then a minister in grand coalition.
Mr Bashir had visited to grace promulgation of the new constitution. The government sneaked him through Wilson Airport without the knowledge of Raila Odinga, then the Prime Minister. US President Barack Obama expressed his disappointment in the visit.
Last month, Al-Bashir was toppled through a popular uprising. Already, he has been bangled into prison and could be tried for violation of human rights. Soldiers have formed transitional government which has been rejected by civilians too.
"In 2010 @tunajibu said he was “proud to receive Bashir” during the criminal’s illegal visit to Nairobi. What does Mr Balala say now?" tweeted Prof Makau Mutua in reference to Balala's role.
Kenya Human Rights Commission chairman George Kegoro recalled how he rushed to the court to seek for Al-Bashir's arrest. He accuses Balala of subverting justice then.
"By the end of the ceremony, Kenyan activists had already prepared placards against Bashir who was whisked away and back to the airport on his way to Sudan," he recalled.
"Following this visit @ICJKenya then got a provisional arrest warrant from the High Court, against Bashir, if he should ever return to Kenya. It was courageous of Ombija to issue the warrant," he added.
The then Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetangula disclosed that Kibaki had personally invited Bashir and added that "we invited our neighbours and Sudan is our neighbour."