President Kenyatta ICC case victims uneasy over delay in trial

The International Criminal Court building at The Hague. PHOTO | FILE  AFP

In Summary

• Their views were collated in the 10th periodic report submitted to the Victims Participation and Reparations Section of the ICC on July 21 in which 196 victims were interviewed.
• Unlike the case against Deputy President William Ruto and journalist Joshua arap Sang, which has progressed despite lack of witnesses, President Kenyatta’s trial has been beset by delays.

By NATION CORRESPONDENT
More by this Author

Victims in the case against Mr Uhuru Kenyatta at The Hague have complained about the delay in starting the trial, saying they are unsure about getting justice.

 

They also claimed they faced psychological trauma, lack of government assistance and financial difficulties, seven years after the post-election violence.

Their views were collated in the 10th periodic report submitted to the Victims Participation and Reparations Section of the ICC on July 21 in which 196 victims were interviewed.

Of these, 179 had previously been registered to participate in the case facing President Kenyatta over accusation preceding his presidency.

The common legal representative interviewed victims in Nakuru, Siaya and Busia ahead of the status conference for the case on July 9.

He conducted over 100 phone interviews with victims to ascertain their situation following the Mpeketoni attack in Lamu in which more than 70 people died.

The official said he had various meetings to address victims’ concerns, especially with regard to delays in starting the trial and the apparent lack of help for Nyanza and western region victims.

“The attack, which resulted in the Kikuyu community suffering a large number of casualties, also resulted in the Luo community receiving fliers in Nakuru and Naivasha demanding that they leave,” notes the report.

CITED INSECURITY

Over 40 victims of the Mpeketoni attack were also interviewed by telephone after the legal representative cited insecurity for failure to talk to them face-to-face.

In Busia County, 19 victims from the Luo and Luyia communities, who were interviewed, accused the government of bias in the way it was compensating victims.

“There was also despair among the group who had high hopes that the trial would start in early 2014,” the report notes.

Over 68 Luo and Luyia victims in Siaya said they had been reduced to poverty by the post-election violence. They said their situation had been worsened by lack of assistance from the Government and called on the ICC Witness Protection Fund to intervene.

In Nakuru County, the Luo and Luyia communities interviewed said widows and orphans were the most affected.

Another 31 individuals interviewed in Siaya County said they were tired of the delay in starting the trial and were losing hope in the justice process.

Unlike the case against Deputy President William Ruto and journalist Joshua arap Sang, which has progressed despite lack of witnesses, President Kenyatta’s trial has been beset by delays.

ICC outreach coordinator in Kenya Maria Kamara said the trial had been delayed by “legal procedures”.