CORD leaders want Ruto’s case withdrawn

By NICK OLUOCH

KISUMU, KENYA: A section of CORD leaders has called for the immediate withdrawal of cases facing Deputy President William Ruto at the International Criminal Court (ICC) if those facing President Uhuru Kenyatta are withdrawn.

Speaking in Awendo Constituency of Migori County yesterday, Rongo MP Dalmas Otieno said Ruto should be left to concentrate on his duties.

“I believe that should the President’s case collapse, Ruto’s must also be withdrawn,” Otieno said, adding that the Deputy President was no more guilty that the rest of Kenyans.

Otieno’s remarks came after the request for a three-month adjournment of the case against President Kenyatta by ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda due to what she termed as “insufficient evidence”.

BUDGETARY ALLOCATION

He further called for immediate budgetary allocation for compensation to those who lost their relatives and properties during the 2007/2008 post-poll violence.

Migori Governor Okoth Obado said there was no way Ruto could have taken part in organising the violence that rocked the country after a botched presidential poll.

“We all saw Ruto at KICC during the release of the results and there was no way he could have been organising violence,” Mr Obado said, adding that it was important for Kenyans to put the ICC issue behind them and move forward.

According to Obado, it was now “emerging clearly that the Deputy President was a victim of propaganda and lies perpetuated by some people”.