Former United Nations Secretary GeneralKofi Annan has reportedly said that perpetrators of Kenya's 2007 post-electionviolence should be tried both by a local tribunal and at the InternationalCriminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.
Annan, who is currently visiting Kenya,mediated the agreement that ended the country's post-election violence and ledto the formation of the current national unity government.
Egara Kabaji, director of public affairs andcommunication at the Kenyan foreign ministry, said itis in Kenya's interest to set up a local tribunal.
"Firstand foremost, the Kenyan government will be abdicating its responsibility if atall it decides that it is actually the International Criminal Court that isgoing to do that kind of thing. And I think what Kofi Annan is saying isstating the obvious, that you are not going to surrender to the internationalcommunity to do this for Kenya," he said.
Annanreportedly said Wednesday in Nairobi that the ICC would likely try a handful ofthe key perpetrators of the 2007 post-election violence while a local tribunalwould try the rest.
ButKabaji said he does not support the idea of using the ICC to try any Kenyan.
"Bydoing that we are actually saying we are unable to solve the problems of thiscountry. This is a strong indictment of ourselves," Kabaji said.
ManyKenyans have said in recent polls that they would prefer the ICC over a local tribunalfor fear powerful government officials might interfere with the work of a localtribunal.
Kabajisaid the Kenyan government should move to protect the integrity of any localtribunal.
"Thelocal tribunal should actually be shielded from interference by those powerfulelements, and actually criminal elements within our system," Kabaji said.
Hesaid there's a need for a national dialogue for Kenyans to get to the root ofthe issues that have divided them as a nation.
"Theproblem of tribalism, the problem of ethnicity these are the issues that wehave to deal with. We have to ask ourselves what actually makes it possible fora Kenyan to look at another and say look you are my enemy," he said.
Kabajisaid Kenya's ethnic and other problems have a lot to do with the country'shistory after independence.