(CNN) -- Kenya and the African Union are defending a visit by Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted on allegations of war crimes and genocide.
Al-Bashir on Friday joined other African leaders in Kenya to mark the signing of a new constitution, which is expected to usher in major change.
The International Criminal Court has protested al-Bashir's visit to the U.N. Security Council.
The Sudanese leader is wanted by the court in The Hague, Netherlands, on allegations of war crimes and genocide in western Sudan's Darfur region, where violence that erupted in 2003 has left at least 300,000 people dead.
Kenya, a signatory to the criminal court treaty, was obligated to hand over al-Bashir, according to the international court.
Kenya and the African Union rejected that stance, saying that the U.N. Security Council has not acted on a request to defer proceeedings against al-Bashir for one year.
Kenya also has "a legitimate and strategic interest in ensuring peace and stability in the sub-region and promoting peace, justice and reconciliation in the Sudan," according to a statement from Dennis Onyango, a spokesman for Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
Al-Bashir was invited to the constitution celebrations in Nairobi "as the head of a friendly, neighboring country," Odinga's spokesman said. CNN
