Nairobi — Foreign minister Moses Wetang'ula has urged Kenyans to forget the visit of Sudan President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and focus on the implementation of the new Constitution.

The minister spoke after a closed door meeting with envoys from Americas at the Serena Hotel Tuesday.

The meeting is one of the latest in a series with foreign diplomats stationed in Nairobi as the government seeks support to implement the new law.

The meetings have also been used to explain the presence of Sudan President al-Bashir at the promulgation ceremony amid global pressure on Kenya for hosting the leader who is wanted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

"We should not live in the past or allow ourselves to be hostages of past events," said Mr Wetang'ula.

He observed that Kenyans have a heavy burden of implementing the new law and should therefore be focused on that.

"Our international friends will help us but the critical foundation for the new Constitution is the responsibility of Kenyans."

The meeting was attended by heads of missions or their representatives of Argentina, Chile, Canada, Mexico, Cuba and Venezuela.

President al-Bashir's presence on Kenyan soil on Friday August 27 caused uproar among local and international groups.

The visit by President al-Bashir has also caused confusion in the coalition government with one partner arguing that Kenya had committed a diplomatic blunder and another maintaining the invitation was in order.

President Kibaki broke his silence over the matter and urged the international community not to isolate leaders of the oil-rich but fragile Eastern African state.

Mr Wetang'ula also refuted that the series of meetings with the envoys was to seek support from the global backlash caused by the visit of President al-Bashir.

Last week, the minister met the African and Asian envoys, who both pledged support for the implementation process and defended the government over the matter.

"I should have held these meetings even if President al-Bashir did not come," he said.

"We are not doing something out of the ordinary. Similar meetings have been held before with individual ambassadors or in groups. We are not reinventing the wheel."

Mr Wetang'ula revealed that he was in contact with the EU envoys for a similar meeting at a date to be announced later.