President William Ruto has signed the Malabo Protocol to the African Union’s Constitutive Act, making him free from prosecution by the International Criminal Court.
The Act, approved by President William Ruto on July 24, now prohibits the ICC from directly prosecuting him on the basis of a crime.
The Malabo Protocol was adopted by the AU in 2014 with the goal of establishing a regional accountability system and supporting the concept of African solutions for African challenges.
Ruto’s signing kicks off a three-month procedure that will offer Kenya’s president immunity.
If Ruto commits an offense, he must first go through AU processes before the ICC takes up the case.
According to the Act’s details, top state officials will not be prosecuted for comparable offenses until they leave office.
According to Article 4 of the Act, the AU has the power, before any other third party, to intervene in a Member State pursuant to a resolution of the Assembly in the case of severe circumstances.
War crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity are among the circumstances, as is a substantial threat to legitimate order in order to restore peace and stability to the Member States.
