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President Kenyatta will not attend a key United Nations meeting in New York to avoid a power vacuum in the country.
Questions had been raised over whether the President would attend the meeting since his deputy, Mr William Ruto, is attending trial at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
A statement released by State House last night said Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Mr Macharia Kamau, had informed UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that Kenya would not be represented at the General Assembly.
“Whereas very important multilateral and bilateral meetings had been planned for President Kenyatta during the week, including a speech to the General Assembly, we very much regret that he cannot be out of the country at the same time as the Deputy President,” Mr Kamau is said to have told Mr Ban.
It added that Mr Kenyatta had also summoned Mr Kamau to Nairobi for unspecified consultation.
This is the first time Kenya will not be represented in its 50 years of independence.
Gichugu MP Njogu Barua told Saturday Nation that Immigration officials at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, citing government orders, barred him and Environment Cabinet Secretary Judy Wakhungu from travelling to the US for the meet.
President Kenyatta was among heads of State expected at the world leaders’ conference alongside 130 other heads of State and Government.
Kenyans have been curiously waiting for the President’s word after he categorically stated that he and Mr Ruto cannot be out of the country at the same time.
“Kenya is a sovereign nation and has a Constitution. … When Ruto is at The Hague, I will be here; and when I am at The Hague, Ruto has to be here,” he told a rally in Ruiru, Kiambu, 12 days ago.
President Kenyatta is facing crimes against humanity charges at the ICC, with his trial expected to start in November.
Attending the General Assembly is a critical matter for a government that is lobbying countries to prevail upon the UN Security Council to stop the trials in The Hague.
Already, Kenya has succeeded in rallying majority of African countries that have ratified the Rome Statute to petition The Hague to stop the cases.
However, the presidency of ICC has rebuffed the AU’s request to have cases halted because it was not properly filed. In response, ICC Second Vice-President Judge Cuno Tarfusser said the decision to stop the trials was not the preserve of the presidency but the chamber.
“I regret to inform you that the decision of the Assembly of the African Union as such does not constitute a request to the court in accordance with the court’s legal framework. As President Song conveyed to you earlier, the court is only able to consider requests properly raised in front of the relevant chamber in accordance with the applicable legal procedures,” Judge Tarfusser said in the letter.
State House reiterated the two leaders’ willingness to cooperate with the court and called on it to reciprocate.
“Kenya expects the ICC to show the same level of cooperation thus demonstrated with a state party,” read the statement.
American authorities have threatened to arrest Sudan President Omar al-Bashir if he travels to New York after the ICC asked the authorities there to arrest him.
Mr Bashir has two arrest warrants on his head over human rights violations in the restive Darfur region.
However, Mr Kenyatta is not under travel caveat as no warrant has been issued against him or his deputy in view of the charges facing them.
Meanwhile, UN special rapporteur Maina Kiai is listed among the main guests in a major General Assembly event to be attended by US President Barack Obama.
Mr Kiai is expected to address the panel on challenges facing the global civil society.
“It is a great honour to be invited to address this distinguished group,” he said.
Online Reporter