President Uhuru Kenyatta has for the first time revealed what he was doing when he received news that former ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo had named him a suspect of crimes against humanity.
Kenyatta, who at that time was then Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, stated that he was busy signing deals with the Japanese government when Ocampo made public the names of Kenyans who allegedly planned the deadly 2007/08 post-election skirmishes.
“A call came through. The caller asked me to watch TV instead of what I was doing.
“Here I was, signing a deal and something important, while something touching on a part of my life was being announced,” said Kenyatta.
The president said he did not want to abandon what he was doing as it was of importance to the country, but the unidentified caller insisted.
In the interview with Kenyan journalists in Brussels, Belgium, Kenyatta said that being indicted for crimes against humanity back in 2012 was his lowest moment.
Uhuru, who has kept the information away from the public, described the news as dreadful.
Kenyatta was accused alongside Deputy President William Ruto, Journalist Joshua Arap Sang, Henry Kosgey, former Police Commissioner Hussein Ali and ex-Head of Public Service Francis Muthaura. The six, who were dubbed the 'Ocampo Six', have since been acquitted of their respective charges.
Current Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda filed a motion to drop charges against President Kenyatta citing witness interference by the Kenyan government.
Following the acquittal of all the suspects, the President said that he would ensure no other Kenyan appeared before ICC.
Currently, there is a bill in a parliament seeking to withdraw Kenya from the Rome Statute that established the Hague-based court - ICC.
