Kenya has called for urgent reforms at the International Criminal Court (ICC), just hours after the United States slapped sanctions on the court. Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing'Oei made the call on Saturday, October 10, saying the court needs to fix its own shortcomings instead of being punished with sanctions.
Sing'Oei did not hold back. He said the ICC deserves serious criticism for failing to live up to the mandate it was set up to deliver, and for being selective about the cases it chooses to pursue. But for him, the answer is reform, not sanctions. "What it needs is urgent reform. Not sanctions. Kenya will continue to work with State Parties to reform the court," he said.
The fight started on Friday, October 9, when the US government announced sweeping financial measures against the ICC. Washington has banned financial transactions with the court, which makes it hard for the ICC to access banking services and carry on its daily work.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the move, saying it was meant to protect America and stop the court from going after Americans, whom Washington considers outside the court's legitimate reach. Rubio also said the action should push the court's allies inside it to find ways to end what he called a threat to US sovereignty.
There is a catch, though. The Trump administration gave some of these measures a six-month grace period, which leaves room for countries to talk and look for a way out of the standoff.
The sanctions did not come out of nowhere. Tension between Washington and The Hague has been building for a while, mainly over ICC probes into alleged US crimes in Afghanistan and cases involving Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Reactions have been loud. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the move a serious blow to the UN's wider push for international criminal justice, a system where the ICC plays a central role. The United Kingdom, Canada, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and the Netherlands have also opposed the decision and asked Washington to reconsider.
Kenya's position is clear. Instead of joining the sanctions chorus, Nairobi wants to work with other member states to push for changes that improve how the court performs and deal with complaints about the way it handles cases.
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