Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta led more than 10 MPs, including Cabinet Minister Esther Murigi and several assistant ministers in demanding that his boss, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, should be tried by the International Criminal Court over the post election violence.
Speaking in Timau Peace Church in Laikipia where he attended a prayer service, Uhuru said Raila was to blame for the violence because he did not accept defeat in the last election. Uhuru also suggested that Raila may refuse to leave office after his term ends should he be elected President in 2012.“If Raila cannot accept defeat, and does not mind even if blood is split, can he ever vacate office if he ever became President?
Apart from Uhuru, the other five Kenyans wanted by the ICC for the post election violence are: MP William Ruto, the Head of Public Service Francis Muthaura, former Police Commissioner Hussein Ali, ODM chairman Henry Kosgey and radio presenter Joshua Sang. More than 1,300 people died in the violence that followed disputed Presidential election results.Uhuru reiterated his innocence and insisted the truth will eventually come out in the trials.
Uhuru said: “We voted and went home. Only after that did we see and hear about violence. Anyang' Nyong’o who has signed the letter to the United Nations Security Council, was the one who said in 2007 that there would be no peace if ODM lost. Yet he walks free.
During a rally in Nanyuki, the DPM and his colleagues continued their onslaught against Raila with his host Mwangi Kiunjuri maintaining that ICC is being used to settle political scores, but failed to say by whom and how.“If ICC wants to do justice in Kenya, Raila Odinga must be tried at the Hague,” said Kiunjuiri, an assistant minister in the Ministry of Public works.
Assistant minister Wakoli Bifwoli said: “In 2002, we beat Uhuru in the poll and he conceded defeat. How come those who refused to concede defeat have not been charged at the Hague?”
Assistant minister for livestock Adan Duale asked Justice Philip Waki to make public the list of people involved in the post election violence and warned that failure to do so will see Parliament force its public disclosure.
He also took issue with the US government for rejecting Kenya’s bid to defer trials for a year.“America is hypocritical. It signed the Rome Statue and later withdrew because it could not allow a foreign court to try Americans. Why then should ICC try Kenyans? President Barack Obama and Ambassador Michael Ranneberger have no moral authority to lecture Kenya on ICC. If it were not for Major Hussein Ali (former police commissioner) Kenya would have gone to the dogs in 2007,” he said.
Kiunjuri said Kenyans should be wary of foreigners introducing colonialism through the back door.“We were not taken by surprise when the US led an anti deferral campaign as we knew who were driving the exercise of pushing for the post election violence suspects to be tried at the International Criminal Court,” said Kiunjuri.
The MPs appeared to be in a campaign to rally Kenyans behind Kenyatta as he prepares to appear before the ICC on April 8. Uhuru on his part urged Kenyans to remain united and not let self-seekers use them as a ladder to the presidency in 2012.
Also present during the rally was Juja MP William Kabogo who said western powers led by the US had poured millions of shillings to civil society groups and Non Government Organizations to confuse Kenyans through what they are calling youth empowerment. Kabogo has ditched his Party Leader Martha Karua for Uhuru.
Nominated MP Maison Leshomo asked the ICC chief Prosecutor Luise Moreno-Ocampo to stay away from the country’s internal matters.“Ocampo is not this country’s President and should not tell us who is to stay in office or not,” said the MP. Ocampo has demanded the resignation of the Head of Public Service Francis Muthaura since he seats in crucial government committees.
Also present were Kikuyu MP Lewis Nguyai, Ferdinand Waititu of Embakasi, Lee KInyanjui (Nakuru) and John Mututho (Naivasha).
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