By Beauttah Omanga
Mr William Ruto landed with guns blazing at what he called 'false witnesses' and the judicial commission led by Justice Phillip Waki that probed post-election violence.
He claimed his tribulations with ICC were the work of ‘mercenaries’ hired by his political opponents and dishonest non-governmental organisations splashing money at lying ‘witnesses’. His anger was also trained at Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, which named him in its report as among those who incited the violence and whom he has taken to court in a bid to have his name expunged.
 |
Eldoret North MP William Ruto (seated second left) addressed a Press conference at Panari Hotel soon after he arrived from The Hague. [PHOTO: STAFFORD ONDEGO/STANDARD] |
He accused the Waki team that made drastic recommendations on the violence, and drew up the list of prominent suspects whose names were put in an envelope and handed to the International Criminal Court, of allegedly peddling lies.
He said the commission and KNCHR reports were built on rumour and falsehood and claimed some of the witnesses who testified on the strength of the monetary rewards they received or were promised were now going back on their statements because the financial taps had dried up.
He also revealed in the 30 hours he voluntarily sat before ICC investigators at The Hague, he neither tried to have President Kibaki nor Prime Minister Odinga blamed for the chaos that rocked the country after the 2007 elections that they bitterly fought over.
He also took on human rights groups, which he said, used money and promises of a life of opulence, to induce witnesses to lie and manufacture stories against him.
He first spoke at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport where supporters accorded him the rare welcome reserved for gold medalists returning home after their track conquests abroad, then the Panari Hotel where he addressed a news conference.
Ruto was welcomed home by eight Rift Valley MPs and ecstatic supporters who, in keeping with the traditions of his Kalenjin community for heroes and heroines, feted him with a gourd of mursik (fermented milk), which he drank directly from the gourd.
He repeated that his sessions with the ICC team were ‘fruitful’, but was non-committal on whether his name could be in the list envelope Dr Kofi Annan handed over to Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo.
Ruto revealed his meetings with ICC officials involved written submissions and question-and-answer sessions. His anger at KNCHR was reinforced by the fact that it did not give him a chance to give his side of the story.
Mercenaries capitalised
"It was a combination of those falsehoods by the Waki Commission and that of KNHRC that some mercenaries capitalised on to malign my name. People were paid to perpetuate the lies by sustaining and spreading the lies that I had a hand in the chaos. I gave ICC my side of the story and I hope they will carry out independent investigations to arrive at fair judgment," said Ruto.
Ruto claimed that a group of politicians and lawyers had "witnesses" that they induced into giving false testimony.
He claimed some poor Kenyans had been hired to peddle lies against him and that some of those used were now frustrated after the monetary promises were not forthcoming.
"Some human rights groups hired mercenaries to soil my name. The poor Kenyans did so following financial support and promises of relocation to other countries among them the US and Australia. On realising that the promises were empty, they are now revealing the truth that they had been misused," said Ruto.
Among those who received at 8.30am at JKIA were hundreds of his supporters and immediate family members, including his wife Rachael and mother, Sarah.
Sporting his trademark cap bearing the colours of the Kenyan flag, Ruto was received by eight Rift MPs: Zakayo Cheruiyot, Joshua Kuttuny, Dr Julius Kones, Benjamin Langat, Julius Murgor, Jackson Kiptanui, Peres Simam and Moses Lessonet.
The group also included civic leaders and former legislators.
Police had a hectic time controlling the crowd that was singing him heroic traditional songs. Some also bore placards declaring: "Ruto is our only one, there is no other’, ‘This is like a second circumcision, … Run through it like you would run through fire’, and ‘Ruto the Lion, You are Courageous’.
Disowning claims
Ruto reiterated he had gone to The Hague to set the record straight on "falsehoods peddled about him" in relation to post-election violence. He seemed to suggest part of "setting the record straight" was disowning claims he had testified before the Waki Commission. He claimed the commission peddled lies for claiming in its report that he had testified during its proceedings.
"I never appeared before the Waki Commission to respond to any accusations made against me, but the Judge went ahead to indicate that I appeared," said Ruto.
On Raila and Kibaki, Ruto said: "I am not a spy for anybody nor I am an advocate of anybody. I went to The Hague on my own and I wanted to put the record straight with a view of assisting the ICC get the truth concerning the chaos."
He said he had a civic duty to contribute to the resolution of the issue of post-election violence and as a leader "he was leading from the front". "I have an obligation to lead from the front when things are good and even in times of difficulty," he said.
On whether he met with Ocampo, he asked: "He (Ocampo) was the one who told Kenyan journalists that a certain Kenyan had requested to see him. I wrote and he invited me. How then could he have fled The Hague while we were there to meet him?"
The ODM Deputy Leader said he was also given a chance to ask questions that were answered by the ICC officials.
"Before Ocampo visited the country (in May), he had asked to meet me for some clarifications. We tried to meet him but it was not possible then. I wrote to him asking for an appointment soon after he left the country and he asked me if I would make it there this month, which I did," revealed Ruto.
He reiterated that his intention was to help the ICC know that he had nothing to do with the violence. He said he was not taken aback by any question they asked him and revealed he made an undertaking to fully co-operate with the sleuths in the remaining part of their investigation.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment