The KPTJ rally will take place at 1pm Tuesday at “Freedom Corner” in Downtown Nairobi’s Uhuru Park, by Kenyan civil society groups mobilizing to support the ICC in opposition to the recent political efforts to move Kenya out of the ICC process in response to the naming of the six prominent suspects by prosecutor Ocampo last month.

[Update–here is a link to more background and the related petition at Diary of a Mad Kenyan Woman.]

The Standard is carrying a story noting the petition campaign, which targets 5,000 voters from each constituency. A Facebook page has been set up for ‘One Million Kenyans Say YES to ICC’ (search in facebook & ‘like’ the page to post comments). The public e-mail to request petitions for registered Kenyan voters to support the ICC process is signonemillion [at] gmail.com.

Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavidi has spoken out today as reported by the Daily Nation under the lead headline “Grand Coalition split as ODM fights back”:

A split has emerged in the Grand Coalition government with one of the main partners – Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) – coming out to dispute recent state actions in regard to the Kenya case at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

A Press conference addressed by an ODM deputy party leader Musalia Mudavadi on Monday alleged a smear campaign designed to discredit the party leadership for political gains.

The party defended its leader – Prime Minister Raila Odinga – saying that he has been a victim of self-serving political threats based on unfounded allegations and “meticulous lies”.

“Since the formation of the coalition Government, a small group of MPs have continued to make one illogical allegation after another meant to smear the ODM and undermine the party leadership,” the statement said.
Mr Mudavadi, who is also a Deputy Prime Minister, also dismissed claims that the Cabinet had resolved to have Kenya pull out of the ICC process stating that no such move has been taken.

“Whoever is pushing this agenda is not doing it for the coalition Government but as a partisan and personal agenda,” the party said.
The ODM deputy party leader further addressed repeated threats by disgruntled members to quit saying it was a manifestation of panic and fright owing to the forthcoming grassroots elections.

He termed it ridiculous for some members of the party to claim that Prime Minister was behind ‘The Ocampo Six’ list.

. . .

Likewise, The Parliamentary Caucus on Reforms chaired by NARC-Kenya’s Danson Mungatana, has stepped out to call on Parliament to prioritize needed legislation for implementation of the new constitution and turn away from the politicking on the ICC, in particular the proposed bill to withdraw Kenya from participation in the Court.

The bottom line here is that Parliament chose the ICC over the path of a local tribunal long ago–the political machinations against the ICC started only when the specific suspects were named. The Government of Kenya has no legal right now to obstruct the ICC prosecution, even if it were to withdraw from future participation in the Court. The issue now is whether the Government cooperates or not, and whether politicians chose to try to raise tribal, regional and political tensions and animosities for their own benefit and to the detriment of their constituents and the nation as a whole. Assuming that many of the politicians act irresponsibly, the question will then be whether the public listens to civil society and religious leaders and other responsible voices or allow themselves to be mobilized to try to disrupt the rule of law.