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The Post-Election Violence in Kenya pp 1–12Cite as

Introduction

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Part of the book series: International Criminal Justice Series ((ICJS,volume 2))

Abstract

This chapter introduces the study and gives its general overview. It starts by situating the study within the context of the “duty to prosecute”, being the basis for prosecuting crimes under international law allegedly committed in Kenya. The chapter also presents the background to the research problem, the objectives of the study and the outline of the book.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    See Kenya National Bureau of Statistics 2010, p. 20.

  2. 2.

    See Jonyo 2003, p. 166.

  3. 3.

    These are Nairobi, Nyanza, Eastern, Western, Coast, North-Eastern, Rift Valley and Central Provinces.

  4. 4.

    Library of Congress 2007, p. 2.

  5. 5.

    Jonyo 2003, p. 166.

  6. 6.

    See, e.g., Naqvi 2009, p. 21; Wouters 2005, pp. 17 et seq.

  7. 7.

    Bassiouni 1986, p. 2; Cassese 2008, pp. 11–13; Damgaard 2008, pp. 56–60; Naqvi 2009, pp. 21–24; Schabas 2007, pp. 82–83; Werle 2009, p. 29.

  8. 8.

    See Article 5 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, A/CONF.183/9, 17 July 1998 (hereafter “ICC, Statute”). See also Cassese 2008, pp. 11–13; Damgaard 2008, pp. 56–85; and Werle 2009, p. 29.

  9. 9.

    See, e.g., ICC Statute, Article 123; Bassiouni 1986, pp. 1–2 (arguing that there are 22 “international crimes” in total). For more details see Triffterer 2008, pp. 40 and 59; and Zimmermann 2008, pp. 98–103.

  10. 10.

    ICC Statute, Preamble para 4 and Article 1.

  11. 11.

    ICC Statute, Article 5 and Preamble, para 3; Werle 2009, p. 31.

  12. 12.

    See Human Rights Watch 2009, pp. 10–17; International Committee of the Red Cross 2005; Jeßberger 2007, pp. 213–22; Scharf 1996, pp. 1 et seq.; Tomuschat 2002, pp. 315 et seq.; Werle 2009, pp. 69–70. On how the duty to prosecute is extended to third states by the principle of aut dedere aut judicare (prosecute or extradite), see generally Bassiouni and Wise 1995.

  13. 13.

    Werle 2009, p. 64. See also generally Macedo 2004.

  14. 14.

    Article 53 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties of 1969 defines a jus cogens as a “peremptory norm of general international law … from which no derogation is permitted”.

  15. 15.

    Bassiouni 1996, p. 63 (noting, inter alia, that the jus cogens status of international crimes constitutes obligations erga omnes (owed to all mankind) which are non-derogable). See also Obura 2011, pp. 13–14.

  16. 16.

    Cf. May 2005 (giving a theoretical and philosophical justification on why third states and international tribunals must exercise jurisdiction over jus cogens crimes when the state of commission fails or is unwilling to do so).

  17. 17.

    Cf. Bassiouni 2001, pp. 81 et seq.; Macedo 2004, p. 44, Kissinger; 2001, pp. 86–96; and Werle 2009, pp. 67–68. A clear example of how sceptical the policies of states are with regard to the exercise of universal jurisdiction is to be found in State’s argument in the judgment of the High Court of South Africa: Southern African Litigation Centre and Another v. The South African National Director of Public Prosecutions and Three Others, 8 May 2012, pp. 25–27. Also see the subsequent judgment of the South African Supreme Court of Appeal: National Commissioner of the South African Police and another v. Southern Africa Litigation Centre and others (485/2012) [2013] ZASCA 168 (27 November 2013). For critical analysis of these judgments see Kemp 2014; Werle and Bornkamm 2013, pp. 659 et seq.

  18. 18.

    ICC Statute, Article 5(1). However, with regard to the crime of aggression, the ICC will only be able to exercise jurisdiction after 2017 upon meeting the specific conditions stipulated under Article 5(2) of the ICC Statute read together with Article 15 bis adopted in the first amendment to the Statute in 2010. For more details see Ambos 2010, pp. 463 et seq.; Clark 2009, pp. 1103–1115 and Manson 2010, pp. 417–443.

  19. 19.

    For more information see “ICC at a glance” http://www.icc-cpi.int/en_menus/icc/about%20the%20court/icc%20at.%20a%20glance/Pages/icc%20at.%20a%20glance.aspx. Accessed September 2014 See also Werle 2009, pp. 20–25.

  20. 20.

    The Statute provides that in order to “put an end to impunity for perpetrators of these crimes and thus contribute to the prevention of such crimes…effective prosecution must be ensured by taking measures at national level”. And therefore, “it is a duty of every State to exercise its criminal jurisdiction over those responsible for international crimes”. See ICC Statute, Preamble, paras 4, 5 and 6.

  21. 21.

    See Statement given at the ceremony for the solemn undertaking of the Chief Prosecutor of the ICC (June, 16 2003), p. 2 http://www.iccnow.org/documents/MorenoOcampo16June03.pdf. Accessed August 2014.

  22. 22.

    See infra Sect. 6.5.

  23. 23.

    Valinas 2010, p. 269. Cf. Laplante 2010, p. 636.

  24. 24.

    See generally Chigora and Guzura 2011; Mapuva 2013.

  25. 25.

    BBC News, 31 December 2007.

  26. 26.

    See Internews 2010 https://internews.org/sites/default/files/resources/2010-05_Kenya_ICC_5-Page_Briefing.pdf. Accessed September 2014.

  27. 27.

    See Kenya National Dialogue and Reconciliation 2008a.

  28. 28.

    See Kenya National Dialogue and Reconciliation 2008b.

  29. 29.

    See Kenya National Dialogue and Reconciliation 2008c.

  30. 30.

    See Kenya National Dialogue and Reconciliation 2008d.

  31. 31.

    See Kenya National Dialogue and Reconciliation 2008e.

  32. 32.

    See ICC Press Release ICC-OTP-20090709-PR436, 9 July 2009.

  33. 33.

    See Decision Assigning the Situation in Kenya to Pre-Trial Chamber II, ICC-01/09-1, 6 November 2009.

  34. 34.

    ICC Press Release ICC-OTP-20090716-PR439, 16 July 2009.

  35. 35.

    See infra Sects. 6.6.1 and 6.7.4.

  36. 36.

    See Daily Nation, 22 December 2010. A Motion to withdraw from the Statute was presented to the Parliament by Isaac Ruto (MP) on Thursday December 16, 2010. See Parliament of Kenya 2010, pp. 30 et seq.; For further discussion see infra Sect. 6.6.3.

  37. 37.

    See Asaala 2010, pp. 377–406; Asaala 2012, pp. 119–143; Gathii 2010; Mohochi 2011; Musila 2009, pp. 445 et seq.; Nmaju 2009, pp. 78 et seq.; Okuta 2009, pp. 1063 et seq.; Sing’Oei 2010, pp. 5 et seq.

  38. 38.

    See, e.g., Halling 2010, pp. 827 et seq.; Hansen 2011, pp. 1 et seq.; Kress 2010, pp. 855 et seq.; Werle and Burghardt 2012, pp. 1 et seq.

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  1. Faculty of Law, University of Dar Es Salaam, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

    Sosteness Francis Materu

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Materu, S.F. (2015). Introduction. In: The Post-Election Violence in Kenya. International Criminal Justice Series, vol 2. T.M.C. Asser Press, The Hague. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6265-041-1_1

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