Ruto believed fire was ‘accidental’

A woman cries outside the Kiambaa church in which several people were burnt to death at the height of the post-election violence. PHOTO/ FILE
By PATRICK MAYOYO pmayoyo@ke.nationmedia.comPosted Monday, March 7 2011 at 22:00

In Summary

* Suspended minister told US officials the deaths of 35 people in church was not an attack

Suspended Higher Education Minister William Ruto believed the fire that razed Kiambaa church in Eldoret, killing more than 35 people, was accidental, a cable released by whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks has revealed.

An assessment by Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Johnnie Carson and National Security Council senior director for Africa Michelle Gavin, who held a meeting with Mr Ruto says he believed members of his Kalenjin community were unfairly blamed for the incident.

They said Mr Ruto blamed the media for reports linking members of his community to the attack on the church, which was full of people who had fled their homes as a result of post-election violence.

“Ruto expressed frustration with the media, which he felt blamed members of his Kalenjin group for locking and burning down a church full of asylum seekers in Eldoret during last year’s violence,” the cable quotes the two US officials saying.

They said according to Mr Ruto, the cause of the incident was an accidental kitchen fire.

“Gavin reminded Ruto that within the processes established by a tribunal, the truth about such events could come out and be clarified,” the cable adds.

The US officials said Mr Ruto was uncomfortable with the formation of either a local or international tribunal.

“What he (Ruto) did expose again was his extreme sensitivity to the establishment of any kind of tribunal and his willingness to protect his own community regardless of the cost to the country,” they observed.

They said Mr Ruto was unable to offer significant steps on reform that could be accomplished in the next three months and they did not expect him to serve as a positive agent of change in the coming months. Mr Ruto spoke to them in May 2008.

Mr Ruto told the two officials that although he voted in favour of the Special Tribunal for the sake of the country, he was not sure whether the International Criminal Court (ICC) or a local tribunal was the way to go.

The cable adds that both Mr Gavin and Mr Michael Ranneberger discouraged Kenya from going to the ICC, which would indicate that Kenya could not handle its own problems.

Mr Ruto also said that President Kibaki could not initiate far-reaching reforms as anticipated by the international community because he was beholden to some people he was to sack.

“Ruto predicted that the president would not take action against Ali (former Police Commissioner Major-General Hussein Ali) and retired Chief Justice Evan Gicheru, because they had helped him retain office last year,” the cable indicates.

Mr Ruto said if it were up to him, he would have fired Mr Ali for incompetence.

Contacted, Mr Ruto said he was in a meeting and by the time of filing the story he had not responded.