Nairobi — Kenya's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom has been summoned by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office over Sudan President Bashir visit to Kenya.

A statement from the British High Commission in Nairobi said (UK) officials had "conveyed the disappointment of the British government that President Bashir last week travelled to Kenya in defiance of ICC arrest warrants for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide."

President Bashir attended the ceremony to promulgate Kenya's new constitution last Friday, among other heads of State who had been invited for the occasion.

Though the African Union defended Kenya's move to invited al-Bashir, Kenyan legislators, human rights organisations and other countries, notably the United States and the European Union sharply criticised the government.

Last week, a United Nations spokesman said member-states (Kenya is a member) were required to comply with resolutions passed on the Darfur crisis and the subsequent requests from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

He said UN Security Council would determine the punishment to impose on Kenya for hosting the Sudanese leader

In Kenya, Al-Bashir's has also caused confusion in the government, with one half arguing that Kenya had committed a diplomatic blunder and another maintaining that the invitation was in order.

While Kenya's coalition partner, the Orange Democratic Party distanced itself from the invitation, Foreign Affairs permanent secretary Thuita Mwangi last week said the decision to invite Mr Al-Bashir was taken by a government committee in charge of the invitations.

Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetangu'la, while defending the visit, told the Kenyan Parliament on Tuesday that the visit had paid dividends as some touchy issues on Sudan's forthcoming referendum were resolved.

Granted the move, Kenya has been under immense local and international pressure to clarify its position on the ICC.

And the UK government made this clear in the statement on Wednesday:

"Officials emphasised that the UK expects the Government of Kenya to stand by its obligations under the Rome Statute, and as a UN member state."

It adds: "The Government of Kenya has repeatedly committed itself to full cooperation with the ICC in respect of crimes in Kenya, and stressed the importance that the British government places on such commitments."