This archive report was first published on 17 August 2019.
On August 17, 2019, a Nairobi daily newspaper splashed a headline that left many wondering about the justice and legality of trying Kenyans in the United States. The headline read: 'Top Kenyans to face US trial over Akasha drugs.'
According to the newspaper, the trial of top Kenyans in the United States is a clear example of the Atlantic Superpower's conceit. The conceit, which has been condemned by independent international observers, suggests that the United States has the right to use force to bring citizens of other states to its courts of law.
But is this conceit justified? If the alleged crime was committed in Kenya, why should the alleged culprits be tried in the United States? Kenya's laws were broken, and it is Kenya's laws that should be applied.
The Nairobi newspaper failed to answer the relevant question, instead focusing on the fact that the trial is taking place in the United States. But the question remains: does the American government have the right to summon a citizen of Kenya to a court of law in the United States?
Considering the fact that the alleged crime may have taken place in the jurisdiction of the District of Columbia, the question assumes even greater significance. The United States elite preaches eloquently about correct behavior, especially in politics, but it is time for them to practice what they preach.
