Angry Kenyans are urging their government not to sign an agreement with the United States that would require Kenya to get permission from the U.S. government before surrendering U.S. war crimes suspects to the International Criminal Court.
Kenyan member of parliament Paul Muite tells VOA he and his government do not need the yearly $10 million military aid package that the U.S. government threatened to withhold from Kenya if the East African country does not sign the agreement.
"First of all, America is being utterly immoral in refusing to sign up [to] the International Criminal Court and to go further and require economically weak countries like Kenya, blackmail them, is really very, very insulting to our sovereignty, to our sense of self-respect," said Mr. Muite. So we are taking the position that that military aid should be suspended - we don't want it."
Under the so-called bilateral non-surrender agreement, Kenya would promise not to surrender any U.S. war crimes suspects to the International Criminal Court for possible trial unless the United States government agrees.
Some Government officials said the move showed lack of respect for the country's sovereignty, while others said the US could as well keep its money.
"We should be principled and resist being held to ransom by the Americans," Labour minister Newton Kulundu and Kabete MP Paul Muite said separately.
"They can keep their dollars as long as they respect our dignity," said Mr Muite. "It is not only Americans who can train our military personnel, and it is time we started looking at the European Union, China, South Africa or even Japan for such training."
The move was also condemned by religious and human rights groups, who described it as "dictatorial".
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights and the International Commission of Jurists yesterday urged Kenya to not bow to pressure.
But, praising Kenya for ratifying the Rome Statute on International Criminal Court, they urged MPs and the Cabinet to tackle the problem.
"International human rights must be the same for every human being," KNCHR member Catherine Mumma said. "There should a standard human being, whether one is American or Kenyan."
