There is unease in some quarters of Jubilee coalition after International Criminal Court allowed the admission of recanted statements from five witnesses in the case against Deputy President William Ruto.
The use of recanted testimonies places Ruto in an awkward position because it prolongs the case when all indications that Jubilee will begin to sharply focus on the General Election once the year rolls over.
Jubilee leaders are also alive to the fact that Ruto’s continued appearance at The Hague would provide his critics and rivals with ammunition against him in his Rift Valley home turf.
The ICC dropped charges against President Uhuru last year, leaving Ruto and radio presenter Joshua Sang fighting crime against humanity charges at The Hague in relation to the 2007-2008 electoral violence. More than 1,200 people were killed and 600,000 displaced in the clashes.
Majority Leader in the National Assembly Aden Duale argues that the ICC is playing to the gallery of certain individuals keen on scuttling the Jubilee Government.
Some Jubilee leaders have been of the view that Ruto’s continued appearance at the court, long after President Uhuru Kenyatta’s case was withdrawn, could be misunderstood to mean that the Jubilee administration has abandoned him, creating some discontent in Rift Valley ahead of 2017.
President Uhuru and his deputy had in 2012 entered into a memorandum of understanding stating they would support each other up to 2022, when Uhuru will complete his two terms (hoping he will be re-elected in 2017) and in return back Ruto for the presidency.
Reconciliation
“Their political alliance in 2012 papered over the lack of a deeper and more sustainable political reconciliation between the Kikuyu and Kalenjins. And this will suffer due to the ICC,” Molo MP Jacob Macharia said of the ICC development.
Macharia, however, added Jubilee leaders had been holding meetings to confront the issue.
MPs aligned to the Deputy President are also confident that the URP leader will overcome the ICC hurdle.
Among these is National Assembly Deputy Speaker Joyce Laboso, whose opinion is that Ruto will get the support of local people. Others who have voiced their support are MPs Asman Kamama (Tiaty), Grace Kiptui (Baringo), William Cheptumo (Baringo North) and Sammy Mwaita (Baringo Central).
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