Uhuru blames his woes on political rivals

Written By:KBC reporters,    Posted: Sat, Mar 12, 2011

Supporters of Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta demonstrating ( file/photo)

Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta has blamed his political adversaries for his ICC tribulations.

Addressing crowds at Thika Municipal stadium where he launched the Mt Kenya Matatu association, Uhuru said his predicament was prompted by his detractors out to eliminate him from the presidential race in 2012, and has vowed to face the International criminal court to declare his innocence.  

Uhuru  termed the summonses issued by the International Criminal Court and allegations that he perpetrated the 2007/2008 post election violence as a case of mistaken identity.

Uhuru further accused his political rivals of being behind his woes.

Earlier, Uhuru who was accompanied 10 legislators held a closed door meeting at a Nairobi hotel, Nairobi before leaving for Thika. 

Uhuru is among six prominent Kenyans named by the International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo as suspected masterminds of the chaos that left 1,133 people dead and a further 650,000 displaced.

The others are: Head of the Public Service Francis Muthaura, Eldoret North MP William Ruto, his Tinderet counterpart Henry Kosgey, Postmaster General Hussein Ali and radio journalist Joshua Sang.

Already, the ICC has summoned the six to appear at The Hague-based court on April 7 for an initial hearing.

Meanwhile four MPs from Embu county led by Tourism Assistant Minister Cecily Mbarire called for the fastracking of judicial reforms if the government is to convince the ICC to defer the cases in favour of a local mechanism

Elsewhere in Bureti, Prime Minister Raila Odinga hit out at some leaders for using the  Mau issue to gain political mileage.

The PM  said neither the Ministry of Lands nor his office had received  Sh 4 billion to resettle the Mau evictees and dismissed those using the Mau saga for their own political interests.

The PM visited Tengacha school in Kapkatet which was razed by fire. He also donated iron sheets to traders who lost property after their businesses were burnt down.

Raila was accompanied by roads minister Franklin Bett, MPs Dr Joyce Laboso, Beatrice Kones and Magerer Langat. He said it was time schools were insured against fire to avoid irreparable losses.