Uhuru’s dilemma in push to save Ruto from the ICC claws
Deputy President William Ruto and his defence team at The Hague. FILE PHOTO | ICC
What you need to know:
Key witnesses who could have corroborated evidence against him and his co-accused, radio presenter Joshua arap Sang, had recanted their statements. But with the court’s ruling on August 19 that the prosecution can use the recanted evidence, all bets are off.
Nairobi, Friday. Until last month, Deputy President William Ruto’s allies were confident that the crimes against humanity case facing him at The Hague was on quicksand.
Key witnesses who could have corroborated evidence against him and his co-accused, radio presenter Joshua arap Sang, had recanted their statements. But with the court’s ruling on August 19 that the prosecution can use the recanted evidence, all bets are off.
Now there is a feeling that the International Criminal Court’s noose is tightening around the neck of the DP.
His legal team has said it will appeal the ruling but in the meantime, his United Republican Party (URP) political camp has resolved to go on the offensive against the court and, some say, their The National Alliance (TNA) allies in the Jubilee administration.
It is a strategy that analysts say is fraught with many risks, not least of which is threatening the unity of the coalition government and drawing the wrath of the judges.
It has also emerged that Kenya’s UN Mission has written to the Assembly of State Parties to protest against the ruling.
In a letter to the ASP President Sidika Kaba dated August 25, Kenya says the ruling was ‘‘regrettable and improper.’’
The ruling has raised political temperatures in the Rift Valley, Mr Ruto’s bastion, and presented President Uhuru Kenyatta with a new headache.
Indeed, as the ‘‘prayers’’ start at a holy shrine at Kiptororo in Kuresoi, Nakuru, on Sunday, many Kenyans will be watching with keen interest.
Nakuru suffered the brunt of the 2007 election violence for which Mr Ruto and Mr Sang are in court. The violence, sparked by a disputed presidential election result, pitted the Opposition to which Mr Ruto then belonged against the Uhuru Kenyatta’s government side.
Some 1,133 Kenyans were killed and more than 600,000 uprooted from their homes, according to official figures.
There has been calm since the two came together in 2012 and swept to power a year later. But will the centre hold or things will fall apart?
On Friday, even as some in URP insisted that the rally was a ‘‘Kalenjin affair,’’ National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale, sent text messages to all coalition MPs inviting them to attend.
‘‘This is a Jubilee alliance prayer meeting, it is not a Kalenjin meeting. William Ruto is not a tribal chief, he is the Deputy President of this country. I am fully involved, the President is involved, the entire Jubilee coalition will attend the meeting to shame the ICC,’’ Mr Duale who added that the DP will not attend the rally or the other subsequent ones told Saturday Nation.
And Kericho Senator Charles Keter, one of the DP’s key allies said: “Our agenda is only one, to pray for the Deputy President, there is no other agenda. We are in government so we cannot start talking about quitting government. Our friends in TNA are free to join us at the meeting.’’ (AFP)
