Adrian Kamotho, the lawyer who represented President William Ruto during the August 2022 Presidential Election Petition, has called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate and prosecute Azimio la Umoja leader Raila Odinga for his alleged role in ongoing anti-government protests.
In a letter addressed to ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan on Friday, July 28, Kamotho, representing Victims of Maandamano Insurgents (VMI), claimed that his clients had suffered from crimes committed by protesters during the demonstrations.
He asserted that the protests were characterized by mayhem, vandalism, looting, terror, and destruction of property.
“We are instructed to respectfully draw your attention to grave humanitarian atrocities and war crimes perpetrated against our clients that fall at the heart of your mandate as delineated by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which inter alia confers upon the ICC, unfettered jurisdiction in relation to crimes of international concern, in complementarity to national criminal jurisdictions,” the letter reads.
“Our clients are compellingly persuaded that a time has come for the Office of the Prosecutor to take decisive steps in consonance with Article 15 of the Rome Statute to redress acute humanitarian transgressions and war crimes being perpetrated with impunity by Hon. Raila Odinga, a former prime minister,” Kamotho requested.
He further accused former President Uhuru Kenyatta of refusing to retire and engaging in extremist political activities.
Kamotho urged Khan to investigate alleged ill motives concealed by the “Handshake brothers” towards the Republic of Kenya, claiming that they devised sinister plots following their loss in the August 2022 Presidential Election to President William Ruto.
“After the conclusion of the transition, Kenya enjoyed a remarkable period of boisterous peace and tranquility. However, in subsequent days, our clients avow that Hon. Raila Amollo Odinga of the Azimio Coalition, in partnership with Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta, the chairman of the said Coalition, commenced a scathing campaign of hate, disinformation, propaganda, incitement, and violence against the lawfully established Government of the Republic of Kenya.
“Astounding to our client, is the callous manner in which Odinga and Kenyatta continue to sponsor a wave of terror and deadly violence codenamed Maandamano against innocent citizens and law enforcement agencies,” the letter read in parts.
Kamotho called on the ICC to closely monitor the situation in Kenya and be prepared to intervene if necessary.
This plea comes shortly after another lobby group, Operation Linda Ugatuzi, reported President William Ruto, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki, and Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome to the Hague, accusing them of crimes against humanity.
The group urged the ICC to investigate and charge them with the destruction of property and the death of innocent civilians.
