Mauritius declines to host detention camp for EA pirates

According to sources, the deal shields suspects from the death penalty even in cases where deaths occur during a piracy incidence.

This is despite the fact that the country’s penal codes still provides death sentences in cases of murder or robbery with violence.

“European countries cannot extradite people into the jurisdiction of a country where they would face the death penalty. The memorandum of understanding between the European Union and Kenya rules out the death penalty as punishment for a person who has committed murder during a piracy episode or robbed a vessel’s crew violently while being armed and is handed over to the Kenyan authorities for prosecution,” said the source, who is a lawyer.

The US, France, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Italy, Ukraine, Canada and India are among countries that have deployed ships to patrol the waters off the Somali coast to deter pirates.

Kenya has a duty to co-operate with other nations in order to curb piracy, but Kenya’s contribution to that international affair cannot be at the cost of addressing hunger and malnutrition affecting its citizens,” said Mr Mwangura.

Currently Kenya receives financial support for the prosecution of pirates from other nations as provided for by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the European Commission.

Though The EastAfrican could not authoritatively confirm, Mr Mwangura said that the country receives about $2.4 million despite a proposal it submitted asking for $5.1 million.