UHURU,MUTHAURA TO STAY IN OFFICE, SAYS GITHU MUIGAI

By EMMANUEL ONYANGO

Posted  Tuesday, January 24  2012 at  10:41

Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Head of Civil Service Francis Muthaura will not be asked to resign despite a ruling by the International Criminal Court confirming charges against them, Attorney General Githu Muigai has said.

The AG reasoned that the two suspects, accused of perpetrating crimes against humanity, are charged in their "individual capacity".

He said the government will await the result of their appeals before determining whether to dismiss the duo from office.

"The suspects are appearing in their individual capacity. The Government can not speak on their behalf on what to do and what not to do," said Mr Muigai.

The suspects must submit an appeal against the ruling within five calendar days from Monday. The appeal will then be determined within 60 days.

The Attorney General also unveiled a 10-man panel to advice Government on the ruling by the ICC Judges confirming charges on four out of six Kenyan suspects.

The panel is composed of Jeffrey Nice, Rodgers Dixon, Godfrey Musila, Fred Ojiambo, Joe Olwach, Waweru Gatonye, Betty Murungi, Lucy Gambuni, Grace Wakil and Henry Mutahi.

The panel will also revive the Government's initially unsuccessful efforts to question the jurisdiction of the ICC on the Kenyan cases.

Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka had been the face of a similar effort last year in a spate of shuttle diplomacy to mobilise the African Union to support Kenya's push to have the cases tried locally. The initiative came to a cropper.