Germany wants Ruto, Uhuru barred from polls

Germany wants Ruto, Uhuru barred from polls Written By:KBC reporter,    Posted: Mon, Aug 20, 2012

Uhuru, Ruto are are waiting to stand trial in The Hague beginning April 10 next year. The German government is the latest nation to join other foreign nations in expressing reservations over participation of certain politicians in the forthcoming general elections. In a clear message to Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Eldoret North MP William Ruto, Germany is concerned that voting in ICC suspects would put the country in a state of limbo if they were to be charged by the Hague based court. Uhuru, Ruto,  former Civil Service Head Francis Muthaura, and Journalist Joshua Sang are waiting to stand trial in The Hague beginning April 10 next year. Visiting German Minister for Economic Co-operation and Development Mr Dirk Niebel said Kenya  Niebel said his government fully supported ICC adding that Kenyans did not want to see a reoccurrence of the PEV. "Though the suspects are innocent until proven guilty, Kenya could face difficulties if one of the suspects was elected and later found guilty for crimes committed during the trial," he said. Niebel also called for full investigations into the violence that rocked the country after the 2007 polls. Speaking after leading a delegation of politicians and religious leaders on a tour of Karagita and Kiandege villages in Naivasha, the German minister also called on the embattled Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission to release its report on the elections before the 2013 polls. Moreover, German ambassador to Kenya Margit Hellwig-Botte expressed fear over a move to dismiss hundreds of Post poll cases. "All the perpetrators of the PEV be they big or small must face justice and the country should look for mechanisms to address this issue," he said.   Niebel called for a free and fair election adding that his country would donate 1 milion Euros towards the exercise.