Kilifi County Governor Amason Kingi has said Kenya must remain a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC), since the country is not yet peaceful contrary to what has been purported by the Jubilee government.
Speaking in Ganze Sub-County during the launch of a 34 million water project in the dry prone area, Kingi said statements by Jubilee leaders during their rally in Nakuru implying that Kenya will no longer cooperate with the court and that Kenya is peaceful were an open lie.
“It is said that Kenya is peaceful and there is no need of us cooperating with ICC. As we all remember, in 2007 we experienced the worst clash in this country, especially between Kikuyus and Kalenjins. Many were displaced and have not yet gone back to the areas they used to live in. If there is peace in this country why is it that people displaced during the violence have been relocated to other areas and not to where they used to be?” asked Kingi.
He further said that the Jubilee government should not lie to Kenyans that there is peace yet none of the people affected by the clashes have gone back to where they used to live be before the violence.
“What peace is this that a Kikuyu cannot go back to his land in Rift valley and a Kalenjin cannot own property in central? If there is peace why did the government use lots of money buying land elsewhere to accommodate displaced people. Shouldn’t they have gone back to their land,” asked Kingi.
Speaking during the prayer rally in Nakuru, President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto said no other Kenyan should be tried at the Hague based court.
They said Kenyans have their own courts and should therefore be left alone to deal with their own issues.
According to Kingi peace will only be achieved if people displaced during the political violence go back to the land they owned.
“If we truly have peace in this country then the Kikuyu who used to live in Rift Valley should have gone back to the same homestead he used to live in without resistance from the Kalenjins. That is the peace which we want but not instances where everybody should stay in their ancestral regions,” said kingi.
According to Kingi, without the Rome statute, Kenya would be left at the mercy of organised criminals used by politicians for their own political gains.