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The call has particular relevance for Kenya, where former President Uhuru Kenyatta and his successor, President William Ruto, were both indicted by the ICC in 2012 over the 2007-08 post-election violence.
In a statement on Sunday, the Democratic Party leader urged political leaders to avoid using ethnicity as a tool for political mobilisation, saying no community should be threatened or discouraged from exercising its constitutional right to vote.
Karua asked the Chief Prosecutor at the ICC to closely follow developments in Kenya and determine whether the reported incidents provide enough grounds for an examination.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the measures, saying Akane, from Japan, and Seye, from Senegal, were targeted under an order issued by President Donald Trump last year. He accused the two ICC officials of taking part in efforts to investigate, arrest, detain or prosecute officials from governments that have not agreed to the court’s jurisdiction.
The DP urged Kiraitu to seek an audience with Uhuru and encourage him to use his influence to ensure the Mount Kenya region remains united despite the growing political competition ahead of the next election.
The 56-year-old prosecutor became one of the most prominent figures at the ICC after seeking arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza.
Ruto said Kenya supports a justice system anchored on independence, impartiality and credibility.
Lady Justice Aluoch noted that Africa has 33 voting states, Latin America 28, Eastern Europe 20, Western Europe 25, and Asia-Pacific 19, making a total of 125 countries involved in choosing judges.
The campaign gathered pace on Sunday evening shortly after French President Emmanuel Macron arrived at State House, Nairobi, when Ruto introduced the former Supreme Court judge to the French leader as Kenya’s official candidate for election to the ICC bench.
Before joining the Supreme Court, Ndung’u represented her constituency in the 9th Parliament as a Member of Parliament under the National Alliance Rainbow Coalition (NARC) from 2003 to 2007.
The move is unprecedented in the court’s history and leaves a leadership vacuum at a time when the ICC is under intense pressure.