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4-9 September 2015

Media Monitoring Report for Kenya
Posted on September 25, 2015

Compiled by Pierre-Philippe Turnbull

1. ICC

1.    ICC

Kenya Sends Protest Note to Assembly of State Parties On Ruto ICC Ruling (All Africa News, September 4 2015)

  • Kenya has sent a protest note to the Assembly of State Parties to the Rome Statute over a recent ruling by the ICC in the case against Deputy President William Ruto.
  • The protest note says the position taken by the Court and ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda is "regrettable" and "improper".
  • The rule cotested allows the ICC to use prior recorded statements as evidence, where the witness is missing or has recanted his testimony.

 

Kenya: Jubilee Leaders Deplore Ruto, Sang ICC Case (All Africa News, September 8 2015)

  • Some leaders have accused the ICC of "changing the rules of engagement" with regards to William Ruto’s trial.
  • They furthermore argue that the International Criminal Court should leave Kenya alone as it has moved on after the 2007-08 post-election violence.
  • They argue that, despite Kenya’s lack of interest in the ICC case, the court has continued to pursue the matter to ensure Ruto and Sang are behind bars.

 

Kenya: KDF Plans Major Attack (All Africa News, September 8 2015)

  • A large operation, which is to last at least three months, aiming to destroy Al-Shabbab militant camps, cut their supplies and force them to flee or withdraw from the forest in parts of Galmagala, Ijara, Masalani, Bodhei, Milimani, Basuba and Kiunga.
  • ICC Has Ulterior Motive, Warns Kiambu Senator (All Africa News, September 8 2015)
  • Kiambu Senator Kimani Wamatangi has said Kenya needs to review its cooperation with the International Criminal Court.
  • He argues that the ICC has ulterior motives, and only prosecutes African leaders
  • "The ICC prosecutor was allowed to use evidence from hostile witnesses who had recanted their testimony, which is meant to impact the cases. Ruto has faithfully travelled to The Hague but the court has continuously changed the rules,"

 

Kenya seeks change in ICC rule (Daily Nation News, September 8 2015)

  • Kenya will use the next Assembly of States Parties meeting to push for a further amendment to a rule that allowed the ICC to admit pre-recorded evidence in a case against Deputy President William Ruto.
  • Last month, the country’s ambassador to the UN, Mr Macharia Kamau, wrote to the assembly and the Presidency of the International Criminal Court after judges agreed to admit pre-recorded evidence from witnesses who have since renounced their testimony in a case facing Mr Ruto and former radio presenter Joshua arap Sang.
  • “We wonder why the court took this action when it is aware of the understanding and decisions of the assembly,”

 

Bensouda Wants to Change Sang Suit (All Africa News, September 10 2015)

  • ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda on Tuesday gave notice that she was preparing to change her case against journalist Joshua Sang.
  • It is seen by many as an attempt to change the parameters of the case against one of the accused midway through the trial.
  • Until now, Sang has been charged only with "contributing" to the crimes committed by a network's members in the 2007-08 post-election violence
  • Now the prosecution says based on the same set of facts, the court could also find him guilty of "soliciting or inducing" the crimes or of "aiding and abetting" the post-electoral violence.

 

Kenya Writes to AU Over Ruto Case (All Africa News, September 10 2015)

  • The Kenyan Government has written to African Union Commission chair Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, asking her to urgently convene a special meeting to discuss the ICC.
  • This comes a few days after more than 100 Jubilee legislators held prayers in Kuresoi, where they accused the ICC of "targeting a community."
  • The AU has been very vocal against the ICC in recent months, and has also played a role in discrediting the Court during President Kenyatta’s trial – who’s charges were dropped for lack of evidence in December 2014.

 

2. Al Shabaab

Al-Shabaab kills 'over 50' Amisom soldiers, say Western sources (Daily Nation News, September 2 2015)

  • At least 50 African Union soldiers are believed to have been killed and another 50 are missing after Al-Shabaab militants overran a military camp in southern Somalia near the Kenyan border.
  • There are fears that this number will rise as more attacks have been occurring in recent days
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