Terminate Hague trials now, Rift Valley leaders demand

By GILBERT KIMUTAI and CHARLES NGENO

Leaders from South Rift have called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to terminate the cases facing President Uhuru Kenyatta, Deputy President William Ruto and radio journalist Joshua arap Sang.

The leaders were reacting to revelations by former ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo that foreign countries pushed him to block the president and his deputy from contesting the last General Election.

Speaking in Emurua Dikirr when they accompanied the Deputy President in his visit to the region, Kericho Senator Charles Keter, Narok governor Samuel Tunai, and eight MPs said Ocampo had proved that the two were fixed by individuals who wanted to block them from taking over leadership of the country. “Ocampo has told us that some foreigners asked him to frame the President and his deputy. It is clear that there is no case and thus our leaders should be left to serve Kenyans,” said Keter.

He said the admission by the former ICC lead prosecutor has brought into question the credibility of ICC.

Tunai said it was becoming clear that ICC was serving foreign powers and had no intention of serving justice.

“It is apparent that some foreign powers are using the court as a tool of neo colonialism. It should be clear to them (foreigners) that Kenyans cannot be told who to elect as their leader,” said Tunai. The leaders said the two should not be distracted by the cases as they serve over 40 million Kenyans. Ruto steered off the debate but only thanked Kenyans for their continued prayers. “I am grateful that you have continued to pray for us and we still ask you to pray for us because we know we are innocent. We shall be vindicated at the end,” said Ruto.

While addressing the public in Ndanai, Sotik constituency, Ruto asked leaders from Rift Valley to shun politicking and concentrate on development agenda. Ruto said time for political push and pull had been overtaken by events and leaders should settle down in working to ensure the Jubilee manifesto and various campaign promises become a reality.

Ruto at the same time called on leaders from the region to embrace unity, saying it would be hard to realise development in the region when leaders cannot consult.

“We will not progress as a region if we do not hold hands and work towards meeting that development agenda and it the role of us as leaders to come together,” the deputy president said.

Ruto said the Government had put in place measures to ensure farmers access farm inputs every year.

He said the Government had bought enough fertilisers for two planting seasons and distributed across the country. The deputy president said the government was out ways to see that the prices of farm input are subsidised.

“The Government has anchored its economy on agriculture and we will move to ensure that farmers are able to buy and plant their crops on time so the economy can grow,” added Ruto.

At the same time he asked the county governments to play their role, saying the national Government had done its part in ensuring that all the devolved functions are surrendered to the counties on time.

“The ball is on the governors’ court to deliver on the sectors that we have handed them and we do not expect them to fail Kenyans,” he said.

Ruto also asked the governors to work in harmony with national leaders saying the two levels of government should complement each other rather than competing.