ICC politics awakened as Uhuru woos Nandi voters

 

President Uhuru Kenyatta samples a milk product when he commissioned an Ultra Modern UHT Production Unit at the New KCC Eldoret Factory on 12th June, 2017

Jubilee leaders have criticised reports that the International Criminal Court (ICC) plans to revive investigations into the cases against President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy, William Ruto.

Deputy President William Ruto who accompanied President Uhuru Kenyatta in a campaign tour of Nandi County said the cases would not in any way better the livelihoods of millions of Kenyans and accused the Opposition of being behind the latest push.

He said the Opposition should instead concentrate on coming up with better policies.

"What we are hearing is that as we are negotiating for projects like the standard gauge railway, they (Opposition) are negotiating to have ICC cases revived if they take power," he said.

The remarks came in the wake of reports attributed to ICC senior lawyer, Anton Steynberg, that the court expects a new regime to cooperate in the crimes against humanity cases.

New KCC

Uhuru offered more goodies to the region, commissioning the Sh500 million Ultra Modern UHT production unit at the New KCC, Eldoret factory.

In Nandi County, he laid the foundation stone for the construction of Koitalel Samoei University in Nandi Hills.

The university, a constituent college of Nairobi University, will offer legal and commerce studies. The Jubilee leaders, while addressing the public at Kobujoi in Aldai constituency, recalled that it was in the same venue where prayers were held for Uhuru and Ruto days to the 2013 elections.

Speaking a week after the NASA brigade led by their presidential flag bearer Raila Odinga held a rally at the Kapsabet showground in Kapsabet, they criticised Opposition leaders, saying they were steeped in politics of hate and insults.

Uhuru asked Jubilee supporters to vote for his administration to enable him accomplish the development agenda initiated  four years ago.

"On August 8 we will ignite our car like in 2013 and further development in the country. Our government has united Kenyans and initiated development projects to transform the living standards," said Uhuru.

The President asked the Nandi residents to elect all Jubilee Party nominees so that his administration gets another five-year term to foster development.

Ruto challenged the Opposition to tell Kenyans what policies they intended to put in place to better their livelihoods instead of insults.

"Hatutaki siasa ya ukabila, chuki na mgawanyiko. Tunataka wakenya wakae kama ndugu moja na wakae kwa umoja (We do not want politics based on ethnicity, hate or divisions. We should live as brothers and in a united country," said Ruto.

He said policies that saw the development of SGR, upgrading of roads, electricity connectivity, free maternity services, free national examinations for KCPE and KCSE candidates among others were Jubilee-owned, pointing out that their administration had long term plans to boost the standards of living for all Kenyans.

Hague cases

National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale claimed NASA's agenda was to revive the ICC cases if they succeed to form the government.

"Their agenda is ICC and we don't want to be dragged back. Foreign masters and their local stooges should know that Kenyans do not want divisions," he said.

Uhuru said the Opposition leaders were misleading Kenyans by claiming his government had not performed.

"During their NASA rally in Kapsabet last week, they claimed that Ruto and I had sold KCC. Today, we revived New Kenya Cooperative Creameries (New KCC), which my government had also pumped Sh400 million into and upgraded machinery. The creamery with new facilities can now handle produce and there will be no wastage even during a glut. Prices will also be steady unlike in the past when it was fluctuating," said Uhuru.

Uhuru said over 50,000 people in Nandi had been connected to electricity in the past four years of his term.