Metabel Mainya/Rose Kamau
Thursday, April 01, 2010
Foreign Affairs minister, Moses Wetangula said the country was overwhelmed by such cases and cannot handle any more.
Wetangula also faulted the lack of commitment by other countries who are signatories of the international law that deals with piracy to receive the suspects as provided for by the law.
Addressing the press in his office Thursday, Wetangula blamed other countries party to the sea law for making false promises to Kenya in regard to the prosecution of pirates.
On his part Attorney General, Amos Wako, distanced himself from the controversy saying he was not party to the decision to receive and try suspected pirates in the country.
Kenya is currently involved in trying of scores of suspected pirates arrested off the East African Coast.
Most of them are suspected of being involved in numerous attacking and holding for ransom vessels especially those travelling off the coast of lawless Somalia.
Early this week the Parliamentary Committee on Defense and Foreign Relations asked the Attorney General to revoke the six Memorandums of Understanding signed by the Foreign Affairs ministry over the arrest and prosecution of pirates.
Last week police in Mombasa refused to accept three suspected Somali pirates and a fourth dead person that arrived at the port aboard an Italian warship.
The developments came just a month after the US State Department apparently issued a fresh advisory against travel to Kenya, citing a new threat from Somalia's Al-Shabaab group which has ties with the al Qaida network.
On Wednesday PS in the ministry of Internal Security Francis Kimemia appealed to the international community to assist Kenya in the prosecution of suspected Somali pirates, saying there should be a shared responsibility in trying and investigating piracy-related cases.
"The arrangement is that all countries should support each other in trying these pirates. Kenya cannot be the only nation that tries all pirates whenever you get them," he said.
Kimemia said the government was increasingly concerned at the large number of piracy-related cases being referred to Kenya.
The government has defended itself from criticism for allegedly turning away suspected pirates arrested in the Indian Ocean off Somalia.
Source: Kenya Broadcasting Corporation