Kenyan government not aware Meshack Yebei was witness

Attorney General Githu Muigai has said the Government was not aware whether Meshack Yebei who was murdered in Uasin Gishu County last week, was a witness at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“I would like to state for the record that neither the Prosecution nor the Defence or any other organ of the court had made the Government of Kenya aware that the Kenyan Citizen was a Witness for any Party,” said Prof Muigai in a statement.

He added: “I would like to appeal to both the Prosecution and Defence to utilise Witness Protection Unit created under Kenyan law to ensure safety of witnesses. The Government of Kenya will continue to assist the Court, Prosecution and Defence in ensuring the Protection of all Witnesses brought to its attention and shall act expeditiously.”

Yebei’s murder has caused a lot of controversy, with Jubilee MPs allied to Deputy President William Ruto claiming he had been lined-up as a crucial witness for the DP in the case facing him at the ICC, alongside radio journalist Joshua Sang. Led by National Assembly Majority leader Aden Duale, the MPs had accused human rights activist Ken Wafula and ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, as being behind the murder.

Wrote to police

The Deputy President’s ICC lawyer Karim Khan, also wrote to the Kenya Police seeking an investigation into the death of an ICC witness, Yebei, 34, was found murdered last Saturday, and his body mutilated and dumped along River Yala in the neighbouring Nandi county.

The ICC through the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) however pointed out, “The OTP wishes to categorically state that any suggestion that it was involved in Mr Yebei’s alleged abduction and murder is both outrageous and utterly false.”

The OTP further maintained that Yebei was not in their list of witnesses saying he had been rejected because of being implicated in attempts to corrupt other witnesses.

Wafula is also seeking an apology from Duale for linking him to the murder, failure to which he has threaten to move to court.

Githu (pictured) yesterday noted that the Director of Public Prosecution has directed the Criminal Investigations Department to commence investigations immediately.

“The AG welcomes the move by the Director of Public Prosecution and looks forward for the confirmation of conclusions of the investigations,” read his statement in part.