Hague needs Sh1b for Kenyan cases

The International Criminal Court is seeking Sh1 billion to prosecute cases against President Uhuru Kenyatta, his deputy, William Ruto, and journalist Joshua Sang next year.

So far, the Kenyan cases have swallowed over Sh2.5 billion since 2010 when the court seized the cases in the Kenyan situation.

This year, the court has spent Sh793 million to fund the two high profile cases. President of the assembly of states, Ms Tiina Intelmann, told the Nation that the court was facing budget limitations, situation that could cripple its investigations.

INVESTIGATION SETBACKS 

Ms Intelmann said the court’s budget, currently Sh 12.6 billion, was inadequate for the amount of work expected and could expose it to investigation setbacks. The court has projected that in 2014 there will be an increase of activities on the Kenyan situation, with two trials expected to go for 12 months each as President Kenyatta’s case begins in February and Mr Ruto’s continues.

Meetings to be held this week will provide a solution to the budgetary problems that have curtailed the court’s in-depth investigations on accused, Ms Intelmann said.

Budget proposals were presented at the ongoing Assembly of States on Saturday by the budget registrar and are expected to be approved later this week.

“The draft budget is considered and commented upon by the committee on budget and finance,” she said. The assembly would then consider the budget and the recommendations of the committee and adopt a final budget. ICC prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, has urged the committee to lobby for more allocations that would enable it perform duties that have experienced setbacks, such as preliminary investigations.

Source: nation