ICC Witness: William Ruto was crowned Rift Valley king

Deputy President William Ruto at The Hague Tuesday. Witness 326 said Ruto was crowned as king in a ceremony attended by some elders from both the Luo and the Kalenjin communities. [PHOTO: PIUS CHERUIYOT/Standard]

BY FELIX OLICK

The Hague: The second prosecution witness at the ICC painted Deputy President William Ruto as an influential leader in the Rift Valley who was crowned king ahead of the 2007 General Election.

The witness said Ruto was crowned elder of all ethnic groups in the Rift Valley during a coronation ceremony attended by top ODM luminaries including former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

The witness only identified as 326 said the ceremony was also attended by some elders from both the Luo and the Kalenjin communities.

“What region was he the king of?” Prosecution Lawyer Ade Omofade asked the witness three times prompting an objection from Ruto’s lead counsel Kharim Khan.

But the witness stood his ground: “He was representing the whole of Rift Valley.”

However, the witness could not confirm to presiding judge Chile Eboe-Osuji whether Kikuyu elders also attended the coronation ceremony held months to the 2007 polls.

“He (Ruto) was the king of the Rift Valley,” the witness insisted. “Mr Ruto was crowned by the community of the Rift Valley and other pentagon members were present when he was being crowned.”

At that point, the prosecution lawyer also protested and asked the witness to stop looking in Ruto’s direction and instead look in the direction the judges.

But what followed from the witness left everyone in the usually tense courtroom, including the three judges, in stiches.

With a clear mother tongue influence in his English, the witness complained that he should be left free to ‘look around’.

“Your honour, I am a human being,” he said. “I should be allowed to look around.”

He insisted that Ruto’s influence in the Rift Valley region was evident from the overwhelming support he secured for ODM as the party’s key point man in the region.

“Mr Ruto’s effort was seen during the campaign time,” the witness pointed out. “He consolidated big support that automatically indicates that he had support where he comes from. He campaigned seriously for ODM and delivered within the area of the Rift Valley.”

Another batch

Raila was the ODM presidential flag-bearer in the 2007 polls with retired President Mwai Kibaki as his main challenger.

While answering questions from Mr Omofade, the witness said that ODM’s campaign strategy was implemented by coordinators from Kenya’s eight provinces.

The witness, however, maintained that Ruto appointed Josephine Koluo and Ole Kina Koitamet to coordinate the North Rift and South Rift respectively.

The witness said that the two coordinators, like others across the country, were answerable to ‘the key ODM Pentagon members’.

“The coordinators had to report to the key Pentagon leader who was Mr William Ruto and the chairman of the National Election Board who was Mr Kwach,” the witness recalled.

He said that the coordinators were in charge of overseeing the nomination process in their various sub-regions and also coordinated the distribution of campaign materials.

“They could also through the leaders (Pentagon officials) coordinate preparation for rallies,” he remarked.

Ruto and former journalist, Joshua arap Sang, are accused of orchestrating attacks in the Rift Valley after the disputed presidential election in December 2007.

Both men face charges of murder, persecution and population displacement. The wave of violence from December 2007 to early 2008 left 1,100 people dead and forced 650,000 others from their homes.

Another batch

The witness said that the only representative of Kass FM he knew was Sang whom he identified in court yesterday.

He, however, clarified that he did not know the programme Sang presented.

“I do not know the programe he presented but I know he is a presenter,” he told Judge Osuji

The witness said that Retired Justice Richard Kwach, nominated Senator Janet Onger’a and former ODM treasurer Omingo Magara were the Nyanza coordinators.

Western Province he said was under the stewardship of former Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi who was assisted by Mr Flavian Kubasu.

“The key Pentagon leader representing the Coast was Mr Najib Balala and the coordinator was Dr Mutana Lewa,” he added.

Central he said was under East Africa Legislative Assembly Member Mumbi Ng’aru, Eastern was represented by Lands Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu while Upper Eastern was under Joe Nyagah.