Central MPs plan to help Uhuru clear his name at The Hague

By BERNARD KWALIA bkwalia@ke.nationmedia.com AND OUMA WANZALA owanzala@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Friday, November 5 2010 at 22:03

Central MPs plan to accompany Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta to the International Criminal Court to clear his name.

Agriculture assistant minister Kareke Mbiuki praised suspended minister William Ruto’s move to seek audience with ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo to set the record straight over the accusations he is facing.

Mr Mbiuki claimed Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto were potential presidential candidates for the 2012 election and the opponents had schemed to ensure they were locked out through moves such as the ICC action.

The assistant minister, who was speaking during the official opening of the Kitale show, said they would rally behind Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto and would resist any intimidation.

“Mr Ruto wrote two letters in a bid to meet Ocampo but there were no responses but when he did so for the third time, he was granted,” Mr Mbiuki said.

He said the Eldoret North MP would come out clean in The Hague issue, adding that the suspended minister was only victimised by those who feel he was a threat in 2012.

Cherengany MP Joshua Kutuny said some MPs would record statements with the ICC to ensure justice was done. The two defended Mr Ruto’s trip to The Hague, saying nobody summoned him.

At the same time, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights has reiterated its earlier call that a local tribunal be formed to deal with other crimes committed during the post-election violence.

Commission chairperson Florence Jaoko said since the ICC would focus only on a few individuals, there was need to deal with those who were involved in other crimes such as rape and incitement.

She insisted that the post-election violence was planned and that there were retaliatory attacks. Those behind the chaos should take responsibility, she said.

Ms Jaoko accused the government of not addressing the problem of internally displaced persons with the speed it deserved.

The chairperson, who was speaking in Eldoret during a workshop for lawyers organised by the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission, warned that the government may be reluctant to cooperate with the ICC in case President Kibaki and Prime minister Raila Odinga were indicted.

“ICC does not have police and therefore any state may frustrate its efforts to arrest those indicted. If the two principals are indicted it could be hard to arrest them,” Ms Jaoko said.

She asked why the commission that investigated the chaos had focused on selected individuals and not ODM and PNU as teams since they had fuelled the animosity.