The International Criminal Court offices at The Hague. [Photo/ dispatch.ug]
A petition against National Super Alliance (NASA) leader Raila Odinga and his running mate Kalonzo Musyoka that was filed by two Kenyans at the International Criminal Court (ICC) has been received by the court.In a letter dated October 17, 2017, the office of the prosecutor acknowledged receipt of the petition.“This communication has been duly entered in the communication register of the office. We will give consideration to this communication, as appropriate in accordance with the provisions of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court,” read the letter in part.The court, however, clarified that acknowledging the letter did not mean investigations had begun.“Please note that acknowledgement letter does not mean an investigation has been opened, or that it will be opened by the office of the prosecutor,” read the letter.The court informed the petitioners that as soon as the court reaches a decision, they will be informed in writing and provided with reasons for decision.On Friday last week, two petitioners Kenneth Otieno and Martin Nkari, through a Canadian law firm Watson Jacobs McCreary LLP submitted papers to the court and formally received by Patricia Castro, and then to the Prosecutor’s office.In the letter, the duo asked ICC Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda to launch investigations into the leading lights of the opposition.The two Kenyans specifically listed “ethnic violence, mobilisation and profiling, rape, sexual and gender-based crimes, targeted aggression, violent utterances and constant calls to violent demonstrations and call to arms” as the reasons behind their plea to the ICC.