VARIOUS European countries have already issued travel bans against Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Eldoret North MP William Ruto because they are facing charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court.
The suspects have not officially been informed of the travel bans but would find out if they applied for visas to travel to Europe. The US government is also reportedly taking a tough line on travel by the suspects.
The travel bans were issued separately from February this year, just weeks after the International Criminal Court confirmed charges against Uhuru, Ruto, the former Public Service boss Francis Muthaura and radio presenter Joshua arap Sang.
Multiple European diplomats in Nairobi separately told the Star that they are not allowed to associate with the ICC suspects. "We are not allowed to meet or talk to them," said an envoy. Another ambassador said he is forbidden from meeting Uhuru or Ruto "except under exceptional circumstances".
Uhuru stepped down as Finance minister in January, partly because donors and diplomats had already indicated that they would not be able to deal with him while he was facing charges in the Hague.
Uhuru and Ruto, formerly bitter political rivals, formed the Jubilee Alliance for the March 4, 2013 election. Last week they were joined by Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi who allegedly had been promised the Jubilee nomination for president.
However Uhuru said over the weekend that only the coalition nomination process next week will determine who the presidential candidate will be.
Various forces in the state machinery and the Central Province establishment had become concerned that Kenya might face serious economic sanctions if Uhuru and Ruto were elected president and deputy president.
Uhuru and Ruto have denied the ICC charges of involvement in the violence that followed the 2007 poll and left 1,200 people dead and displaced 300,000 from their homes. Uhuru has insisted that he will "follow due process" and if necessary go to the ICC where his trial opens on April 10.
However the probable second round of the presidential election will be held on April 11. If Uhuru and Ruto win the election, they may already be in the Hague and unable to govern. If they do not go, they will face arrest warrants and sanctions will probably be imposed on Kenya. The present EU travel ban would therefore appear to be just a preliminary warning shot.
Uhuru and Ruto are now limited to traveling to African countries, Gulf states, East Asia and countries outside the European Union. No ICC suspect has so far travelled to the West since the charges were confirmed.
Last week former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan visited Kenya and warned that there will be political and economic consequences for Kenya if an ICC suspect is elected president. Annan said privately that Kenya risked being "disconnected from the international financial system".
Western diplomats, in particular America, told Annan that they would take a very tough line if the Kenyan suspects did not cooperate with the ICC.
But Uhuru has repeatedly told foreigners including Annan to stop meddling in Kenyan affairs and the upcoming elections. "My focus is on Kenya, the region and the continent. No Kenyan or African has said that Uhuru should not vie for the presidency so the rest if they don't want to associate with us they can stay away," Uhuru told a TNA aspirants meeting at Kasarani two weeks ago.
"It is in bad taste for a person like Annan to travel all the way from Ghana to dictate to voters on who to elect in the coming General Election. I am telling him to keep off from interfering with Kenyan politics," said Ruto yesterday.
Yesterday EU diplomats said several countries were starting to consider possible sanctions starting with a gradual withdrawal of aid. Another ambassador indicated that possible sanctions would initially be limited to individuals and could include a freeze on overseas assets. But sanctions would steadily increase in the following years if those charged with crimes against humanity did not cooperate with the ICC. "Trade embargos are being considered," said a diplomat.
Agricultural commodities such as cut flowers, fruits, vegetables, tea, coffee and fish account for over 90% of Kenya's exports to the EU. The EU is Kenya's second largest market after COMESA and were estimated at Sh89 billion in 2008.
The EU is Kenya's main source of imports, mainly industrial (finished) products such as motor vehicles and parts, aircraft and associated equipment, medicaments, iron and steel products, data processing instruments, rubber tyres and other articles of rubber and plastic, medical and veterinary instruments and motor machinery among others.
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" I NEED AFRICANS TO START PUTTING THIER HOUSES IN AFRICA!!!. "AFRICA IS IN NEED OF ALL OUR RESOURCES MEANING THAT OUR BANKS SHOULD BE FREE OF ANY WESTERN INETEREST, THE IDEA THAT AFRICANS WHOM ARE PANAFRICANS' SHOULD BE HOLDING PROPERTIES IN THE WEST AS IF THIS IS A BETTER PLACE THAN YOUR OWN?? 'FIRST AND FOREMOST AFRICANS SHOULD LEARN THAT THE FIRST THINGS THE WEST DOES AT EVERY TURN IS TO JUSTIFY WHY THEY CAN STEAL YOUR ASSETS??? THEN YOUR FINANCES!!!. THIS IS COMMON THEY ARE NATURAL THIEVES AND PLUNDERERS; MY MOTHER USE TO SAY "A TIEF FROM A TIEF GOD LAUGH"... SO WEHN WE ARE SUPOPRTING AFRICA 'WE HAVE FREEDOM IN PLACING OUR FUNDS IN THIS BRIGHT NEW FUTURE THAT IS AFRICA. THE WEST CONTINUES TO WANT TO DIRECT DICTATE HOWQ THEY CAN BEST INLFUINCE AND CHANGE THE NATURAL EVOLUTION OF AFRICAN MEMBER STATES". THE IMPORTANTS OF THE AU' IS WITHOUT DOUBT THE MOST PROFOUND INSTITUION THAT WE MUST BUILD IN AFRICA. THE STRONGER OUR INSTITUTIONS ARE THE THE FURTHER WE STEP AWAY FROM THSE JEALOUS INTERFERERS!!!. IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE DSIST FROM ANY FORMS OF CORRUPTION NEEDING THE REASONS TO HIDE OUR WEALTH IN THIER BANKS. WE MUST IMPROVE AND STRATEGISE OUR BANKS NOT TO BE INLFUINCED OR ATTACHED TO THIER CORRUPT BANKING SYSTEM". WE SEE HOW THEY OVER LOOKED THE DETAILED MONEY LAUNDERING OF HSBC' WHO WE SEE WAS CONDUCIVE COMPLICIT IN MULTIPLE MURDERS' THAT TOOK PLACE IN MEXICO. WE KNOW FORM INETRNATIONAL NEWS THAT MEXICO HAS THE MOST COCIANE WARS ON THE PLANET THEY ARE IN A PRACTICAL CIVIL WAR IN MEXICO. "SO WEHN LAUNDERING MONEY YOU ARE PART AND PARCLE OF CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY 'NOT JUST CRIMINAL BANKING FRAUD!!!!!1. THESE CRIMES SHOULD EQUATE TO HUNDREDS OF YEARS IN PRISON IF NOT THE DEATH PENALTY??????. SO WE MUST QUESTION WHY IT IS THAT WHITES AND THIER INSTITUTIONS ARE NOT PUNISHED??, BUT RARATHER FINED SO VERY LIGHTLY THAT ITS A JOKE. WHAT THEY ARE SENDING AS FAR AS A MESSAGE IS THAT THE WEST AND THIER CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS ARE LEGAL TO COMMIT CRIMES BY PROXY OR FUEL THESE MUREROUS DRUG WARS THAT TOOK OVER FIFTY THOUSAND LIVES TO DATE IF NOT MORE!!!!!. HERE WE HAVE KENYA IN UNIY AND THEY ARE DOING EVERYTHING TO DISMANTLE AFRICA SO THEY CAN BENIFIT!!!. THEY JSUT DO NOT GET IT COLONIAL DAYS ARE WELL OVER AFRICA WILL NEVER EVER BECOEM COLONISED BY YOU OR NY OTHERS ON THIS PLANET. YOUTHS ARE PAST THE PAIN TERSHHOLD THEY WOULD RATHER DIE THAN LOSE THIER DIGNITY FREE INDEPENDENCEOR COMPROMISE THIER PRIDE. AFRICANMS ARE IN THE MIND SET FO A BLACK LIBERATION MOVEMENT THAT IS ALSO IN A MUCH HIGHER LEVEL THAN WHAT IS BEING CONCEIVED BY THE WEST. THE WEST IS GETTING OLDER WHILE AFRICA KEEPS GETTING YOUNGER'; THE BALANCE IS IN FAVOUR OF AFRICA"" THE YOUTHS OF AFRICA ARE MUCH MORE RADICAL MILITANT IN THE WAYS OF FREEING THEMSELVES INTELLECTUALLY ARTISTICALLY AND POLITICALLY. THE DIFFERNCE IS THAT AFRICANS ARE POLITCALLY CHARGED AND THEY WILL NOT BE DICTATED TO' AS WAS IN THE PAST". THE NEED FOR AFRICA THE CARRIBEAN SOUTH AMERICA ASIA NEEDS TO LOOK FOR A NEW BALANCE IN THE WAYS OF HOW CRIMES ARE BEING SELECTIVELY PARTITIONED BY A CRIMINAL W3EST THAT HAS ONLY ITS ECONOMICAL INETEREST AT HEART... HUMANITY DOES NOT COME TO FOCUS WITH THESE PEOLE. WE WATCH AS THEY USE CLEVR WAYS TO CONTINUE THIER REGIME CHANGES'''';; POLICIES WITH HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DEATH,???' JUST TO HAVE THINGS THIER WAY!!!??. THEY WOULD PREFER TO KEEP CONFLICT ALIVE JSUT TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE ALLIES WHO ARE NOT DEMOCRATIC AND ARE BUCKING THE VERY POLITICAL SYSTEM THEY CALL FOR:::: DEMOCRACY IS THIER CATCH PHRASE'; YET WE SEE THIER ALLIES ARE ALL MONARCHIST HUMAN VIOLATORS'' YET THEY WANT TO LECTURE,CHANGE REGIMES,' THEY THESE AUTHORITARAINS' FEEL IS UNDEMOCRATIC?????????. "HOW CAN A BLIND MAN TEACH A SEEING MAN TO READ AND WRITE???????.. THIS SHOWS EMPHATICALLY THAT THE WEST IS LOST',, !NON PERTITTINENT ESPECIALLY NOT TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF AFRICA AND ITS TRODITIONS'. "AFRICA HAS SURPASSED THE WEST IN ALL WAYS!!!. "THEY ARE AN OLD DONKEY' TRYING TO BE A RACE HORSE ??, THEY ARE JUST NOT RELEVANT."AFRICANS NEED TO SEE PAST THESE TRIVIAL MISCHIEFS THAT THEY WILL CONITUE TO DO TO MAKE THEMSELVES SEEM RELEVANT. THIER IDEOLOGIES ARE NOT JUST, FAIR OR FORGIVING".. " THEY PREFER TO CONDONE THE OUTRIGHT SCANDALOUS 'PREMEDITATED CRIMES' THAT RESULTS IN THOUSANDS OF DEEATHS THAT ARE STILL CONTINUING BECAUSE OF THE GREED DECEIT FRAUD LIES CRIMES AGIANST HUMANITY THAT ARE SO PERVASIVE THAT SHOULD THEY HAD V BEEN CHRAGED ON A INTERNATIONAL ICC LEVEL "??? 'THIER CRIMES WOULD CLOSE THIER BANKS; THE HIERARCHY WHICH LENDS ITSELF TO PROMINENT BUSINESS MEN' POLTICIANS WOULD BE IMPRISONED FOR THE REST OF THIER LIVES".. ." THEY CONTINUE TO GO USNACTHED ,LIKE NOTHING WRONG HAS TAKEN PLACE; THEY ARE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE TO "PLUNDER PILLAGE INVOLVE THEMSELVES IN ILLGEALITIES ON A INTERNATIONAL ORGANISED VAST CRIMINAL NETWORK SCALE"!!!!!!. THIS IS NOT RIGHT ?? YET THEY WANT TO PUNISH AFRICANS EVERYTIME YOU TURN AROUND"!!!. 'THEY STILL THINK AFRICA IS THIER COLONIES??? ." THEY HAVE THE NERVE TO JUDGE AFRICA IN TERMS OF CORRUPTION??? WHENH IT IS THEY WHO FORCES CORRUPTIOPN ON AFRICA ,MAY BE NOT NOW AS BEFORE BUT THEY ARE THE PERPRETRATERS!!!! . 'TODAY WHEN WE SEE THE W3EST WE SEE A SEA OF MASS CORUPTION!! THIS IS WHY THEY CAN NOT SAIL OR FLOAT PROPERLY'. THEY CONTIUE TO BORROW ON DEBTS THAT ARE SO ASTRONOMICAL THIS WOULD NEVER BE PAID IN 500 LIFE TIMES." WHAT AMAZES ME IS THE GREED IS SO BEYOND SIGHT THAT EVEN WITH EXTORTION ENSLAVEMENT COLONIALISM THEY DID NOTHING WITH THE MONEY AND IT CAME TO NO GOOD!!!!. THIS IS THE WAY OF LIFE EVERYTHING YOU DO COMES BACK AROUND ON YOU!!!. "CORRUPTION IS THE DEATH OF A NATION AND THEY ARE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS RULE". 'WE AS AFRICANS CAN FORGIVE WHY ?'' WE SEEK THE ATRIBUTES OF THE "MOST HIGH GOD OUR CREATOR" 'HE IS MOST COMPASIONATE AND FORGIVING' AND WE BELIEVE!!!!. UNFORTUNATELY THEY DO NOT BELIEVE IN HTIS GREAT POWER " SO THEY BECOME HYPOCRITICAL CYNICAL DECEITFUL AND LIARS !!!! THEY WILL MEET THIER WATERLOO!!!.