ICC Trials-Kenya - Intense political rallies by two of the Ocampo six have not changed the public's perception towards the ICC. This is according to a Synovate poll released yesterday. The poll indicates that Kenyans still support the Hague trials.'Despite intense political activity in the recent past, there is no much change of perception,' Synovate senior research Tom Wolf said yesterday. The last poll by the pollster had 60 per cent of the Kenyans supporting trials at The Hague. Yesterday's poll showed that 61 per cent support the trials. Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Eldoret North MP William Ruto and several MPs have been holding rallies in several parts of the country, aimed at swaying public opinion on the Hague process.

The two are key post-election violence suspects named alongside head of the Civil Service Francis Muthaura, Tinderet MP Henry Kosgey, former police commissioner Hussein Ali and journalist Joshua Sang.'The rallies tell you nearly nothing on approval and disapproval,' Wolf said, arguing that one cannot tell what the crowd feels on the issue at hand.

He further said the two have supporters across the country and are certain to get an audience wherever they go.'However, the crowds that turn out are not representative like our scientific research poll,' Wolf said.'Rallies do not translate to support,' Wolf warned and said he is not aware of a poll showing that 80 percent of Kenyans approve the ICC process. Politicians have been questioning the 80 per cent figure in view of the number of people attending the rallies.

The Synovate poll was done in the last one and a half weeks. Some 2000 people were interviewed, Synovate managing director Maggy Ireri said.A special tribunal with international participation got 24 per cent approval.

Only eight percent of the people interviewed want the trials to be undertaken by regular Kenya courts, while 3 percent want no trials at all, they want amnesty and forgiveness.

In December last year 14 per cent wanted an amnesty and forgiveness.

Henry Wanyama

Nairobi Star/07/04/2011