MP Moses Kuria alleges political intrigues landed DP Ruto in The Hague

Church leaders and faithful pray for Deputy President William Ruto and radio journalist Joshua Sang at Kapsokwony Primary School in Mt Elgon Sunday. [Photo: BENJAMIN SAKWA/STANDARD]

BUNGOMA: The old rivalry between Party of National Unity (PNU) and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) resurfaced Sunday during the prayer meeting for Deputy President William Ruto’s case at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in Kapsokwony, Bungoma County.

During the meeting to drum up support for Ruto and radio journalist Joshua arap Sang that was attended by over 100 MPs, Gatundu South Moses Kuria set the tempo when he declared the ICC cases were political games between ODM and PNU.

He claimed intrigues between ODM and PNU (now defunct) led by protagonists Raila Odinga and Mwai Kibaki, who were gunning for the presidency in 2007, were the main reason the cases were taken to The Hague.

“Today I want to state it as it is. Whoever wants to get annoyed is his problem (sic). When we had election violence in Kenya, we had PNU and ODM. Each party was seeking victory. I was in PNU with [MP John] Serut and others. All of us rushed to the ICC,” he said.

Mr Kuria said the politics surrounding the 2007 election saw the PNU-allied MPs present evidence in favour of President Mwai Kibaki against Raila Odinga-led ODM.

 WROTE LETTER

He said that he, Narc Kenya chairperson Martha Karua and other PNU leaders wrote a letter to the ICC after the 2007 elections while Raila and Anyang’ Nyong’o wrote another from the ODM side.

Last evening, Narc Kenya chairperson, who served in as minister in Kibaki’s PNU government, denied Kuria’s claim through her lawyer Gitobu Imanyara.

“Martha Karua refutes in the strongest terms possible the utterly malicious allegations made by MP Moses Kuria to the effect that she procured witnesses against Deputy President William Ruto jointly with he, Moses Kuria. Hon Karua has instructed me as an advocate to move to court both here and at the ICC to clear her name and also to hold Moses Kuria to account for his desperate and defamatory allegations aimed at tarnishing her name and reputation. Hon Karua will be responding more comprehensively when she gets a full transcript of the allegations of Moses Kuria tomorrow,” wrote Imanyara on his Facebook post.

Other leaders during the prayer session asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to petition the United Nations Security Council over the Ruto and Sang ICC cases.

The MPs asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to make it clear to the international community that the case of his deputy is bound to split the country right in the middle if not handled well. Senators Billow Kerrow (Mandera), Kipchumba Murkomen (Elgeyo Marakwet), Stephen Sang (Nandi) and Charles Keter (Kericho), who led over 100 leaders allied to the Jubilee coalition at the prayer rally, said the stability of Kenya was at stake.

Kerrow said the Head of State should tell the United Nations Assembly that the manner with which the ICC has handled the Ruto and Sang cases was meant to destabilise the country.

“The President must make it known to the UN General Assembly that what is happening in regards to the cases facing our two brothers is an attempt to create instability in this country. He must raise this issue,” said Kerrow.

“President Kenyatta must make it known that he cannot allow his country to reverse the gains we have made in the last seven years after the post-election violence, because of a case at the ICC, which in the view of most Kenyans is meant to nail Ruto and Sang,” explained Kerrow.

Senator Murkomen said the only most important foreign policy Kenya can pursue at the moment is uniting the country, and ensuring the cases facing Ruto and Sang are dropped.

“We want the President and the Foreign Affairs CS Amina Mohamed to know that the only single foreign policy for this country now is removing the crimes against humanity cases against our two sons,”

“The only threat to the unity of Kenya today is the ICC cases, because they have been framed in a manner to keep the country in perpetual conflict and that is why we want them dropped. As our leaders go to UN and anywhere in the world, we want them to push for the Ruto and Sang cases to be dropped,” said Murkomen.

Nandi Senator Sang said the country had formulated ways of addressing its challenges, and it is time the ICC let go of the two Kenyans facing trial in The Hague.

“The disunity and animosity that previously existed between the Kikuyu and Kalenjin community has been sorted by President Kenyatta and his deputy who came together to form the Jubilee Government. We no longer need the intervention of the ICC, which may now interfere with the tricky balancing act,” said Sang.

“We are asking Bensouda to please give us a break because we are now already integrating as a country,” said Sang, who noted that the ICC case is set against the Kalenjin community.

Leaders present didn’t hesitate to take a swipe at former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who they accused of doing nothing to assist Ruto, despite being at the ICC for fighting for him.

Nominated Senator Beatrice Elachi was the first to set the ball rolling when she wondered why Raila has never participated in any prayer rally, when it is a fact Ruto is at the ICC for fighting for him.

“We are wondering why Raila is not with us in prayers, yet it is a fact that he was the prime beneficiary of the process that saw Ruto land at the ICC. He became a prime minister because of the efforts of Ruto and he is now least bothered with the plight facing the Deputy President. It is shocking that Raila has not even said sorry to Ruto because the tribulations he is facing now in The Hague are because of him,” said Elachi.

Water and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa has called on ICC to stop dividing Kenyans by profiling one community by the introduction of Rule 68. He said profiling the Kalenjin as a hostile community will amount to dividing Kenya, which has 42 communities.

“Kenya is made up of many tribes. What took place in 2008 involved all Kenyans, not Kalenjins alone, that is why we want Ruto and Sang set free if we expect healing and co-existence,” said Wamalwa.

CHALLENGING MOMENTS

The CS called on all Kenyans to pray for the country so that the two leaders are cleared of the charges placed against them by the ICC.

He said he wants to see a day when the ICC case will be put behind Kenyans for the country to heal and realise development.

Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka called on all Kenyans to pray for Ruto and Sang to save the country from the challenging moments it is passing through.

He said for the sake of healing and co-existence, the ICC case should be dropped to allow the DP to concentrate on serving Kenyans.

“We know that the DP and Sang are passing through hard times but with your prayers everything is possible with God because the evidence being given by witnesses can vindicate them,” he said.

Majority of the Kalenjin MPs attended the meeting, which was also attended by a number of TNA MPs including Ferdinand Waititu (Kabete), Dennis Waweru (Dagoreti) and Alice Ng’ang’a (Thika).