Witness accused of changing claim on DP William Ruto

A prosecution witness was yesterday accused of using the proceedings at the International Criminal Court (ICC) to change his evidence against Deputy President William Ruto and radio broadcaster Joshua arap Sang.

The witness No.0800 is said to have changed evidence about a rally held in Eldoret in 2007, after watching another witness number 13 testify in court.

The two witnesses had each told ICC investigators that they attended the ODM rally at Kipchoge Stadium on December 23, 2007. However, witness 0800 who is still testifying, changed the testimony saying the rally was held at 64 Stadium in Eldoret.

Cross-examined by defence lawyer Shyamala Alagendra, the witness maintained the rally was held at 64 Stadium and was addressed by ODM leaders among them Mr Ruto, then the Eldoret North MP.

Both the prosecution and the defence have, however, agreed in the past that only two ODM rallies were held in that stadium in 2007. The first was on August 19 and the second was on November 10.

But even after being confronted with this previous evidence, the witness stood his ground.

"I remember it was about a week before the elections and to my recollection I think that should have been the last rally of ODM in Eldoret before the December elections," he said.

Asked by presiding judge Oboe Osuji if he agreed there were only two rallies in that stadium in 2007, the witness said, "I don't know about the number of rallies that year but about the one I have given testimony on, a week before elections."

The defence lawyer claimed on that day, ODM leaders including Ruto attended a rally in Western Kenya and flew back to Nairobi for the final ODM rally held the following day.

The defence claimed that the Deputy President's assistant Farouk Kibet was in Mombasa on a day he is said to have attended a ceremony for Kalenjin youths to deliver a goodwill message and cash from Ruto.

The ceremony was allegedly to cleanse the Kalenjin youths who had participated in the 2007-2008 post-election violence in the Rift Valley. Hearing continues.