Ruto set for busy weekend ahead of ICC trial

By Edwin Cheserek

Deputy President William Ruto will have a busy weekend schedule in his backyard ahead of his trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC), which begins next week. Mr Ruto will host President Uhuru Kenyatta in the North Rift who will Saturday morning preside over issuance of cheques to the last group of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Uasin Gishu County.

The two, who are both facing trial at the ICC, will later attend a homecoming ceremony for Elgeyo/Marakwet County Senator Kipchumba Murkomen and Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich. But before they travel to Iten where the ceremony will be held, the two will make a stopover at Uasin Gishu County where they will preside over the closure of the Naca IDP camp in Eldoret.

The president will issue cheques worth Sh400,000 per household to more than 200 victims of the post-election violence victims living at the Naca camp in the outskirts of Eldoret town. The money will enable them leave the camp and rebuild their lives.

Eldoret South DC Seif Matata said they were making arrangements to receive the Head of State at the Naca camp this morning. Upon completion of the exercise, Uhuru and Ruto in the company of host governors, MPs and senators will then head to Iten for the homecoming ceremony of Mr Murkomen and Mr Rotich.

Prayer rally

Murkomen’s event is expected to be turned into a prayer rally for Ruto, who will be the first to travel to The Hague based court to begin trial on Tuesday next week. “We will invit some religious leaders to the function so that they can preside over the prayers before the deputy president and other leaders who will accompany him travel to The Hague,’’ said Murkomen. 

Bishop Patrice Chumba of the Africa Inland Church North Rift region said he had been invited by the area leaders to attend the ceremony and preside over the prayers. He disclosed that the ceremony will be opened with sermons, followed by prayers and then the leaders will give their speeches in the afternoon.

“To be specific, the prayers will be for the senator and family and the nation at large. The prayers will also be extended to Uhuru and Ruto who are due to faces charges at the international court,’’ he said. After the ceremony, the two leaders will proceed to the homecoming for Rotich in Kerio Valley before flying to Mau where they will issue more cheques to forest evictees. On Sunday, Uhuru and Ruto are expected to preside over the launch of the Sh6 billion Uwezo Youth Fund in Nairobi, fulfilling a pledge they made to Kenyan youth before they were elected.