Celebrating impunity is the height of folly

Otuma OngaloOne of the most memorable moments of the hullabaloo that had preoccupied the nation was a mother’s tears and a hug for a grief-stricken son. Before that, there were prayers and well-orchestrated public campaigns by suspects to plead innocence in the wrong court ahead of the trip to The Hague.
Behind the Uhuru Kenyatta/William Ruto drama ahead of a humbling appearance at the International Criminal Court is a tale of two worlds brought together again by common fate. One world is that of a boy born with silver spoon in his mouth and who grew up with burning ambition to sit on his father’s former throne. The other is a rags-to-riches boy who, too, nurses a burning ambition to sit on the most coveted seat in the land.
At one point they both happily drank political mursik at the feet of their benefactor and self-declared professor of politics, former President Moi. They later went on separate political odysseys when their stars failed to align before fate brought them together, after allegedly waging a war in two feuding camps. And the tale continues.
There is no doubt Uhuru and Ruto are among Kenya’s most astute politicians. They have a sizeable following even among peers, as evidenced by a troop of MPs who accompanied them to the chilly ICC for their encounter with Luis-Moreno Ocampo. As it always happens, truth is lost in emotions whenever one is surrounded by loyal followers. Add politics to the mix and you end up with warped reality.
To paraphrase Mark Antony in Julius Caesar, I write neither to blame nor praise Uhuru and Ruto as they fight the biggest battle in their lives. Beyond emotions and vested interests in The Hague saga, let’s face reality.
The two should not be shunned or condemned as if they have the mark of Cain etched on their foreheads. They can only become villains if Morneo-Ocampo proves beyond reasonable doubt they masterminded atrocities that shocked the nation following the bungled presidential elections in 2007.
Accusations are one thing and reality the other. If one is judged against the accusations he or she has faced in life, the whole world would be full of condemned individuals.
There are several other individuals who probably bear the greatest responsibility for post-election violence but are not in the dock. They are gleefully watching as the six suspects face The Hague heat amid chilly weather. How do you explain the fact that none of the discredited ECK officials did not make the trip to The Hague or that the two main antagonists in whose name blood was shed missed the dreaded flight?
On the other hand, Uhuru and Ruto are facing grievous charges, which they should not capitalise on to propel themselves into political limelight or fight political battles. This is what they have been doing in their series of rallies. Those who have been feting them as heroes — and have even planned grand homecoming celebrations — send a terrible signal that it is heroic to be suspected of committing serious crimes. They are, indeed, celebrating impunity.
The two should face the woes bedevilling them stoically instead of insinuating that is an affront to their communities or a calculated move to stem their political ambitions. Prime Minister Raila Odinga may be their common enemy but trying to convince Kenyans that he edited the names in Waki Envelope or manipulated Moreno-Ocampo to implicate them is underestimating public intelligence. Raila could be celebrating their woes but someone in their retinue of sympathisers could be celebrating more and is the greatest enemy they should be wary of more.
Amid the focus and sympathy over the Ocampo Six, hopes for ensuring justice for victims of post-election violence are fast fading. In an irony most astounding, their supposedly foremost guardian angel —Special Programmes Minister Esther Murugi — has been threatening to strip naked not to highlight their cause but to empathise with those accused of causing their woes.