Ruto, Sang seek divine intervention

JARED NYATAYA | NATION Two of the Ocampo Six suspects William Ruto (left) and Joshua arap Sang during prayers held for them at Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Kapsabet Town on March 11, 2011. The other four suspects did not attend. 

By TOM MATOKE AND BARNABAS BII newsdesk@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Friday, March 11 2011 at 22:00

In Summary

• Ruto and Sang attend prayer meeting in Kapsabet to seek divine intervention ahead of their appearance before
  the ICC on April 7

Two of the six people summoned to appear before the International Criminal Court over the poll chaos on Friday attended a meeting in Kapsabet to seek divine intervention to overcome their ordeal.

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Suspended Higher Education minister Wiliam Ruto on Friday expressed confidence that he will overcome the challenge ahead of him and come out strong.

He said that it was an oversight to think that he was out of the 2012 election.

Mr Ruto further said he had forgiven witnesses who went and told lies to ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, subjecting them to be summoned to The Hague.

“The cases will not go far. The lies made against us will crumble,” he told hundreds of people who assembled at the Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Kapsabet for prayers for the Ocampo Six.

Radio presenter Joshua arap Sang, also summoned to The Hague, also attended the prayer meeting.

Mr Ruto said Kalenjin MPs fully supported President Kibaki’s efforts in initiating shuttle diplomacy on the deferral of the ICC case against him and five others.

He said the community no longer supported the Prime Minister and in the next election they would vote for somebody else.

He told off critics who have been questioning why the prayer meeting for the Ocampo Six were held in Kapsabet

“Four out of the six Ocampo suspects, including me and Hussein Ali, were born and brought up in Nandi District which is enough reason to hold the prayers in the county,” he said.

He castigated some leaders who rely on witch-hunting for political milage.

Kenyans should expect a better country after the 2012 elections because competent and a new kind of leadership will take charge of the country, he added.

“The Ocampo Six are important but 40 million Kenyans are more important than anybody else and the leaders who are using The Hague to punish the innocent blood will not succeed,” he said.

The Ocampo six on Friday received spiritual blessing as they face trial where they are appealed to Kenyans not sleep back to violence.

In the prayers, the interdenominational clerics asked the six to remain courageous.

The clerics equated the Ocampo Six to the biblical martyrs and the sacrificial leaders of the pre-independence period who played a key role during the struggle for independence.

“You are like Shadrack, Abednego and Meshack who overcame trials in the Bible and our freedom fighters that liberated the country from the colonial powers,” said the bishop of Eldoret Diocese ACK, Dr Christopher Ruto, who presided over the prayers assisted by Bishop Patrice Chumba of AIC North Rift Diocese.

The prayers were attended by more than 20 MPs who supported Mr Ruto’s camp.

Mr Ruto, Mr Sang, former Industrialisation minister Henry Kosgey, Finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta, head of Civil Service Francis Muthaura and former Police Commissioner Hussein Ali are expected to appear before the ICC on April 7.