The on-going attempts to derail the International Criminal Court ( ICC) process on the Kenyan case has been greeted with a lot of hue and cry from not only the Orange Democratic Movement ( ODM) section of the government but also from the civil society and a wide cross-section of the Kenyan public.

The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) and the Kituo Cha Sheria who form the Kenyans for Peace with Truth and Justice ( KPTJ) ICC Technical Group led the peaceful protest march from the Freedom Corner, Uhuru Park, Nairobi, to Parliament on 03 February 2011.  They marched to Parliament where they handed a petition against withdrawal from or deferral of Kenya’s case from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The aim of the procession was to march to Parliament buildings and deliver the petition to Parliament in time before the expected ruling by house Speaker, Hon. Kenneth Marende. The petition was read and delivered to Hon. Aluoch Olago, Kisumu Town West MP. Mr. Olago also acknowledged having received a copy of the petition on two days earlier in accordance with the rules of Parliament and promised to put it on the Order Paper for the day’s business. It is hoped and expected that the petition will be tabled in Parliament appropriately. The petition aims to convey to the Parliament and the country’s top leadership the mood of the public on the matter of deferral of the ICC process and the recent presidential judicial nominee. It is meant to draw their attention to the Rome statutes and the import of the Rule of Law.

The march was nearly marred by a group of youth calling itself Kenya Youth for Reconciliation..., suspected to have been hired to disrupt the march and also discredit the civil society’s support for the ICC process. The group, claiming to champion a local tribunal, threatened to disrupt the peaceful march by joining in and stirring up chaos. However the Officer Commanding Station (OSC) Central Police Station stopped them since they had not notified the police on their intent. Thus, the protest march went on successfully.

In attendance were other civil society groups such as Bunge la Mwananchi and Warembo Na Katiba lobby group, who are also members of the KPTJ.