Ruto blamed chaos on ethnic-based politics

NATION REPORTER
Posted Friday, November 5 2010 at 21:54

Eldoret North MP William Ruto, who held talks with top Hague-based court officials on Friday, had blamed post-election violence on tribal politics.

He told the Commission of Inquiry into Post-Election Violence headed by Mr Justice Philip Waki that the mayhem was not related to land.

“It is all politics. Land is just an excuse,” he told the team whose report formed the basis of the investigations by the International Criminal Court.

In his testimony, Mr Ruto dismissed a theory that the Kalenjin had the culture of fighting. He remarked: “There is no DNA (genes) for people to fight.”

Instead, he blamed the Kalenjin attacks during post-election violence on a combination of factors, including the history of violence since 1992.

“The issue of the violence is not land, let nobody cheat you. Kikuyus always sit on the land and the only problem is at the end of five years,” he said.

The MP added: “Our politics acquires ethnic dimensions” and communities support parties where “their leaders are at the front and that is one thing we have to change.”

Mr Ruto had vigorously campaigned for the Orange Democratic Movement party in the last General Election.

The former Higher Education minister said the 2007 election was polarised and the people in the Rift Valley believed that (President) Kibaki oppressed them in the five years of his presidential term.

“They voted more against Kibaki’s presidency than for (Prime Minister Raila) Odinga’s,” he said.

The report cited a statement recorded by commission investigators from a Party of National Unity official of Koibatek District that alleged that one ODM official had on August 6, 2007 incited people at a rally.

The rally in Eldama Ravine town was attended by Mr Odinga, Mr Ruto, Mr Otieno Kajwang’, Mr Martin Shikuku and Mr Najib Balala, all of whom spoke in favour of majimbo (federalism).

The witness claimed that one of the speakers asked the Tugen community to remove all “madoadoa” (outsiders) from Rift Valley and “to be committed in voting so as to remove President Kibaki from power and Kikuyus from Rift Valley Province.”

The same witness claimed that chiefs from the area had organised meetings after the referendum during which sentiments were expressed to the effect that “outsiders” would have to leave and go back to their area.

“This statement suggests that local administration in Koibatek was not able to maintain a level of political neutrality during the campaign period,” said the report.

The witness alleged that as early as August 6, 2007, there was already talk by politicians on the campaign trail of bloodshed and dispossession of land from “outsiders”, which would be given to the young Kalenjin men if the election was rigged.