Angry Kalenjin youths torched houses, ICC witness claims

By WAHOME THUKU

THE HAGUE: A witness narrated how her family and she spent two nights in the forest as youths went on rampage burning houses during the 2007 post-election violence.

Witness number 442 told the International Criminal Court at The Hague that she spent the night in a forest in Kabsabet on December 31, 2007 and January 2, 2008 as houses were being looted and torched.

Her Kikuyu community and three other tribes were being targeted by angry Kalenjin youths who accused them of having rigged the presidential election, the court heard.

The witness was testifying on the second day against Deputy President William Ruto and journalist Joshua Sang.

She said on January 31, 2008 when the presidential election results were announced, she heard Sang, the former Kass FM broadcaster on air, calling on the people to “go out and defend their right”.

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Sang also announced that rigging had been going on in some areas. She said following the broadcasts, youths came out of their villages to protest.

“I saw them in Kapsabet town. They were Kalenjin and I could recognise a few of them. The youths gathered in groups of 10-15 as they protested demanding their rights,” continued the witness.

The witness said she heard a local councillor Elijah Lagat announcing on a public address system, “Ni wezi hao. Kikuyu wameiba kura” (they are thieves. The Kikuyu have rigged).

Lagat, whose name has featured severally in the cases, was riding on his pick-up, the court heard.

The witness said on January 1, 2008, she and members of other communities spent the night in the house of a Good Samaritan who was not a target.

“That night we could not sleep because of alarms and war cries by the Kalenjin. It was a scream that is common among them and not among other communities. I’ve heard it since 1992 and I got to know it was not a usual cry,” she told the Trial Chamber V (a).

She said the following day, the host told them he had been warned not to host them again or his house would be burnt down.

On January 2, she saw a car belonging to the area administration calling on people to take refuge at the police station as tension heightened, she added.

On January 3, she saw Lagat on the pick-up calling for a public rally at Kapsabet stadium.

HELD RALLY

“He was using a public address system and was being followed behind by vehicles belonging to athletes,” she recalled. The witness said Lagat was calling on the locals to go and discuss the outcome of the elections.

The witness then saw a large crowd heading to the stadium carrying twigs, saying the Kikuyu had stolen the votes. “I did not go to the rally because we were the victims and we were looking for a way to save ourselves,” she told the judges.