Al-Bashir snubs Uhuru Kenyatta’s inauguration

By DOREEN NAWA in Nairobi, Kenya.

A few hours away from the inauguration of incoming Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, one of  the much anticipated guest Omar al-Bashir snubs the invitation.

With so much publicity in the local and international media about who is to attend Tuesday’s presidential inauguration Sudanese president will not be among the 50 expected heads of states.

According to one of the Local media, The Standard Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir is not traveling to Nairobi to attend Tuesday’s presidential inauguration.

The Standard says Bashir will not be present despite press reports to the contrary.

Quoting government spokesman Muthui Kariuki  today Monday, Mr Kariuki confirmed that Bashir will not be present during Tuesday’s ceremony.

On Sunday, a Sudanese publication had reported his attendance saying he would later head to Chad for a conference.

Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes committed in the Darfur conflict which broke out in 2003.

Kenya, a signatory state to the Rome Statute is under legal obligation to arrest him if he sets foot in the country.

Bashir’s presence at the inauguration of incoming Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta would have been significant because al-Bashir faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court.

Kenya is a party to the treaty that created the ICC and would be legally obligated to arrest him. Kenyatta also faces charges at the ICC over allegations he helped orchestrate the 2007-08 violence that marred Kenya’s last presidential election. Kenyatta’s trial is scheduled for July.

Other Heads of States who have arrived here in Nairobi Kenya include Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni, Rwanda’s Paul Kagame,Tanzania’s Jakaya Kikwete, South Africa’s Jacob Zuma and Democratic Republic of Congo’s Joseph Kabila.

Other s expected are  Mr. Hailemariam Desalegn - Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and Chairman  of African Union,  Mr. Ismail Omar Guelleh - President of the Republic Djibouti, Mr. Hassan Sheikh Mahmud - President of the Republic of Somali, Mr. Salva Kiir Mayardit - President of the Republic of South Sudan, Robert Mugabe - President of the Republic of Zimbabwe.

Also in attendance will be Abdelilah Benkirane - Prime Minister of Morocco,  Abelmalek Sellal - Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Algeria, Dr. Hisham Kandil - Prime Minister of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Danny Faure -Vice President of the Republic of Seychelles, Mr. Terence Sinunguruza - First Vice President of the Republic of Burundi, Khumbo Kachali -Vice President of the Republic of Malawi, Dr Guy Scott - Vice President of the Republic of Zambia.

Rev Jesse Jackson will also attend as a Special Guest of the President-Elect Uhuru Kenyatta.