Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetang'ula on arrival at Bujumbura International Airport

Foreign Affairs Minister Hon. Moses Wetang’ula on Thursday 26^th August participated in the swearing in of President Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi, which was also attended by hundreds of foreign guests, including President Paul Kagame of neighbouring Rwanda.

Hon. Wetang’ula led a delegation of ten government officials, including Labour Minister John Munyes, MPs Bifwoli Wakoli, Rachel Shebesh and Ferdinand Waititu. The military aircraft carrying the delegation touched down at Bujumbura International airport at 0830 GMT.

Pierre Nkurunziza was sworn in for a second five-year term as President, following a landslide victory in the June election boycotted by the opposition over fraud claims.

The forty-five year old Nkurunziza promised to protect the constitution under which he was first elected in 2005 after protracted peace talks that finally brought to an end a decade of civil war in the central African country, which killed over 300,000 civilians.

TO REFER THE MATTER OF PRESIDENT OMAR AL BASHIR’S PRESENCE IN KENYA TO THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL

NAIROBI, 29 AUGUST 2010

The Government of Kenya notes with great concern the attempt of the pre-trial chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to refer the matter of the presence of President Omar Al-Bashir’s presence in Kenya to the UN Security Council as well as unfortunate statements attributed to some UN Security Council Members with regard to the presence of President Omar Al-Bashir of Sudan in Kenya on 27^th August, 2010.

The Government of Kenya has also received with regret a letter from the President of the Assembly of State Parties to the Rome Statute raising concern about Kenya’s failure to arrest President Omar Al-Bashir during the later’s visit to Kenya on 27^th August, 2010. 

Kenya wishes to reaffirm her commitment to co-operate with the ICC, contrary to the statements of the ICC and some UN Security Council Members, some of who have no obligation to the ICC. It will be remembered that even under immense pressure from some Members of the UN Security Council, Kenya declined to conclude the bilateral immunity agreement under Article 98 of the Rome Statute.  Indeed, in the recent past, Kenya has demonstrated good faith and co-operated fully with the ICC on the situation in Darfur thereby contributing to the overall objective of combating impunity and bringing justice to the people of Darfur. The extent of that support and assistance is well within the knowledge of ICC.

August 23, 2010

Hon. Wetang'ula presents a medal to Hon. Gumo on behalf of the family of Ms. Odwori. with him are Mr. Agonga, Connie Gumo and PS Thuita Mwangi.

Two Kenyans have been posthumously honoured by the United Nations Secretary-General for diligent service. The families of the late Ms. Nivah Odwori and Mrs. Milcah Malenya, led by Hon. Fred Gumo, were presented with the medals by Foreign Affairs Minister Hon. Moses Wetang’ula. 

The families were represented by the late Mrs. Malenya’s husband, Mr. Hudson Malenya and brother, Mr. Seth Musindi. Hon. Gumo, his daughter Connie and Mr. Abdul Agonga represented the family of the late Ms. Odwori. The medals were given to the government of Kenya for presentation to the families of the deceased.

Ms. Odwori was a UN Volunteer since July 2009, where she worked for the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), until she met her death at the hands of the massive earthquake which rocked the country in January this year. More than 230,000 people lost their lives, including 96 UN peace keepers. This was the greatest single loss of lives in the UN peace keeping history.

Earlier in her career, the late Ms. Odwori was a volunteer with the Kenya Red Cross Society in Nairobi before she went on to serve in Nepal as a UNV District Electoral Advisor. She is survived by her mother, sisters and brothers.

Similarly, Ms. Milcah Malenya had worked with the United Nations for 18 years, including UNIFEM. In 2005, she joined the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) as an administrative assistant where she dedicated all her energies until she was taken ill and passed away in February 2009.