Muite dismisses Ruto’s grilling over 2008 chaos

By Karanja Njoroge and Agenta Otieno

Former Kabete MP Paul Muite has termed the grilling of Eldoret North MP William Ruto in connection with the post-election violence a gimmick.

Muite said the move was an insult to the intelligence of Kenyans saying it is intended to hoodwink the international community.       

“Why are they doing it now when the International Criminal Court (ICC) is about to resume hearing the cases against the post-election violence suspects?” Muite posed.

CID officers quizzed Ruto on Monday for four hours over allegations of involvement in the post-election violence.

Muite was speaking during a meeting with the victims of the post-election violence drawn from various parts of the country held at a Nakuru hotel. He cautioned IDPs to be wary of people who are purporting to collect information from them to assist them to seek compensation.  “You should be careful with some people who are moving around the country asking IDPs to fill reparation forms. Their aim is possibly to identify who are the witnesses, which may end up endangering the lives of some of the witnesses,” Muite added.

He urged the IDPs to remain united in their quest for justice and resist attempts by politicians and some of the suspects to divide them along tribal lines.

The suspects

“Crimes were committed by individuals and not communities and the suspects should not drag their communities into the issue,” he added.

Muite said that senior Government officers and politicians implicated in misappropriating funds meant to resettle the displaced persons should be arrested and prosecuted.

During the meeting, victims reaffirmed their commitment to the International Criminal Court process.

They expressed surprise that the Government was more concerned with the fate of the Ocampo Six than hundreds of Kenyans who were killed and displaced during the violence.

“We hope that the charges against the suspects will be confirmed and urge Kenyans to remain calm irrespective of the outcome,” they said in a statement by Ms Judith Kondiek.

Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (CHRD) executive director Ken Wafula said the victims want to engage ICC so that their voices can be heard during the trial of the six suspects.