Elders give Uhuru move nod of approval
The Kikuyu Council of Elders in Nakuru County on Friday welcomed Uhuru Kenyatta's decision to quit as Finance minister.
The council chairman, Mr James Nene, commended the Deputy Prime Minister for stepping aside from his ministerial position.
“We wish him well as he prepares to defend himself at The Hague,” said Mr Nene after holding a meeting with council members.
“It’s unfortunate that the ICC ruling misinterpreted the efforts of Mr Kenyatta to stop the orgy of senseless killings and destruction that followed the post-election violence,” said Mr Nene.
The elders promised to release a comprehensive statement on the way forward following the ICC ruling and urged residents of Nakuru County to remain peaceful.
Stand by Kenyatta
The elders described Mr Kenyatta as a “peace maker who is now being accused of rape and murder.”
The members said they would stand by Mr Kenyatta and encouraged him to cooperate with the ICC, saying “Kenyans will one day know the truth no matter how long the ICC case will take.”
At the same time the council of elders faulted the ICC ruling for dragging the name of President Kibaki by claiming that he held a meeting with Mungiki at State House. (READ: Kibaki attended Mungiki meeting at State House, says ICC)
They commended him for vowing to uphold the rule of law. The elders urged the ICC to conduct proper investigations in future if it hopes to win the confidence of Kenyans in such a process.
Elsewhere, a church hailed the move taken by Mr Kenyatta and Head of Civil Service Francis Muthaura to quit their positions.
Respect for Constitution
Addressing the Press in Mumias, Bishop Rashid Nanjira of Christian Warrior Prayer Church said the pair had shown respect to the Constitution by resigning.
“Uhuru and Muthaura’s action came at the right time, it would have been shameful for them to hang on to their posts in the wake of public outcry,” said the cleric.
Bishop Nanjira urged President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga to handle the ICC issue with a lot of care to avert tension in the country.
“The two principals, as we have said in the past must show statesmanship in the way they handle things following the ICC verdict that implicated four of the earlier six suspects,” he said.
Mr Kenyatta and Mr Muthaura took a bold step to announce their resignation, a move that took most by surprise.
President Kibaki named Internal Security PS Francis Kimemia to replace Mr Muthaura in an acting capacity while Nairobi Metropolitan Minister Njeru Githae was propelled to act as minister in the Finance Ministry.
