The ICC(International Criminal Court) has struck at the very right time when the Kenyan citizenry has been crying foul over the squandering of taxpayer's money by the political class to salvage the suspected masterminds of post-election violence from the wrath of international law through the Mission Impossible of Shuttle Diplomacy. These futile diplomatic efforts to see the postponement of the Ocampo Six cases at the ICC have already cost the taxpayer millions of shillings due to innumerable trips made by a diplomatic team appointed by President Kibaki to steer the deferral process wheel. But the big question remains to as whether these efforts will succeed bearing in mind that the US and the UK have already refused the deferral efforts. Although the suspects have said that they will indeed respect all the summons issued against to them,the Shuttle Diplomacy efforts have revealed the government's betrayal to its citizens and its commitment to cultivate,weed and mulch the culture of impunity among the top cadre leadership. The country's leadership has sidelined all the cries of the IDPs to fight tooth and nail for 'justice safety' of the Ocampo Six.While these suspects of crimes against humanity continue to traverse every nook and cranny of this republic fanning ethnic hatred through inciteful public outbursts,the National Integration and Cohesion Commission(NCIC) seem to just watch helplessly and issue 'warnings' to these politicians. Before they were arraigned in court for inciting the public,legislators Wilfred Machage,Frederik Kapondi among others had not been given any warnings.This imbalanced administration of justice portrays the NCIC as a biased institution that cannot be trusted to promote cohesion among Kenyans. Leaders who use public platform to advance ethnic hatred should be dealt with non-selectively as these public spats and propagandas aganist their political adversaries gravitate the country towards ethnic genocide,which maybe worse than the 2007/2008 mayhem. This whole twist of events that has primarily been caused by the ICC threat to shatter the political ambitions of some leaders has torn the country into two castes:the opulent political class and the desperate,deserted and pessimistic populace. The top-notch leadership class who dictate the country's social.political and economic direction languish in posh estates,drive the best vehicle models,are treated in the best hospitals abroad and have access to the best facilities available locally. They use their ill-gotten wealth to achieve their dreams as well as to buy and compromise the course of justice,a scenario we are witnessing in our midst.Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka's mission to lobby member-states of the UN Security Council to support Kenya's deferral bid from the ICC membership is tantamount to betraying the quest for justice for the victims of the post election violence. This is what is characteristic of Shuttle Diplomacy,the Mission Impossible initiative to salvage the lords of impunity from the jaws of fury of the international justice. This is a moment that right-minded and patriotic Kenyans Kenyans should triumph over.It is a moment when justice will justifiably take its course and the plights of the oppressed addressed Thousands have been displaced,their homes burned,some maimed and raped.That is what characterizes the recurrent ethnic clashes since the inception of multipartyism in 1992.The sad note behind all these skirmishes is that propagators of these tribal clashes have for years been free as they take the advantage of the rottenness in our judicial mechanisms to evade justice. It is more than evident to every Kenyan who had had the chance to have a taste of our judicial institutions that any local mechanism as advocated by some will not achieve any fruitful results. Therefore,the ICC announcement is a ray of hope to the deserted Kenyans who for years have brazed discrimination by their leaders.
Wanderi wa Kamau,
Egerton University, Nakuru.
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