Ministers divided over Waki list

Agriculture Minister William Ruto (centre) moments after he was installed as a Sabaot elder. PHOTO/ CORRESPONDENT

What you need to know:

  • Ruto says those who ‘stole’ election to be the first ones tried by international court

Politicians who manipulated the 2007 polls results should be the first to be tried by the International Criminal Court, Agriculture Minister William Ruto has said.

Opposing the formation of a local tribunal, Mr Ruto, who rooted for post-election violence suspects to be tried at The Hague said it is the stealing of the polls that sparked the violence.

“The first move the ICC should consider is to try the people who planned to rig the elections,” Mr Ruto said in Mt Elgon.

Mr Ruto hailed the move by former UN chief Kofi Annan to hand over the envelope to ICC. He said the international court should now conduct independent investigations since the Waki commission “did not do a thorough job.”

Without amendments

In Sabatia, Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi said he was not surprised by the handing over of the list to ICC.

“When Parliament adopted the Waki report, without making any amendments, it would have been very clear from the beginning that the options were limited,” the Local government minister said.

Foreign affairs Minister Moses Wetang’ula and his Planning counterpart Wycliffe Oparanya said the ICC was meant for failed states, which Kenya is not.

Speaking in Kilifi, Mr Wetang’ula said the country has a government, Parliament and a judicial system to deal with issues affecting it, while Mr Oparanya said taking any Kenyan to The Hague would be a mockery to our independence as a state.

Immigration minister Otieno Kajwang’ said the secret list of perpetrators is set to bring radical change as in the country’s political landscape.
However, Khwisero MP Evans Akula said handing over of the letter to ICC by Mr Annan was indeed long overdue.

Additional Reporting by Philip Muyanga, Benson Amadala, Maurice Kaluoch and John Shilitsa