Uhuru makes quiet Kenya return

Finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta quietly jetted back into the country from The Hague, Netherlands.

The plane carrying the minister touched down at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta Airport at 6.20am, fifteen minutes earlier than the scheduled arrival time.

Mr Kenyatta dodged journalists who had been waiting for him at the arrival bay, sneaked his way to the parking lot and left the airport. It is after this that one of his aides showed up and told waiting journalists that the minister had gone home to get ready to attend the funeral of Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai.

Unlike in April when Mr Kenyatta landed at the airport with fanfare and pomp, and was accompanied by tens of MPs, this time he made a quiet return. The Nation did not spot any of his political supporters at the arrival lounge. However, Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni, was spotted at the entrance to the unit for domestic departures.

Mr Kenyatta, who is also Kenya’s Deputy Prime Minister, made his re-entry at a time when the Kenya shilling is quickly depreciating against the dollar and other major international currencies.

It is not clear why Mr Kenyatta opted for a quiet return devoid of pomp, but it is possible that he was heeding the ICC judge’s warning not do anything that will polarise the country and sow seeds for a recurrence of violence.

The minister is a suspect at the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity committed at the height of Kenya’s post-election violence in 2007/2008. Mr Kenyatta, together with the Head of Civil Service, Mr Francis Muthaura, are alleged to be indirect co-perpetrators of the crimes against humanity of murder, forcible transfer, rape, persecution, and other inhumane acts. Former police commissioner Hussein Ali also joins the three in the case.

Only Eldoret North MP William Ruto, addressed the media when he came back from The Hague confirmation hearings on September 11 at an event in which he praised his lawyers. The others charged with Mr Ruto are Tinderet MP Henry Kosgey and radio journalist Joshua arap Sang.

In April, Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto arrived at the JKIA and were greeted by a huge mob of their supporters among them Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka. The three then made their way to Nairobi’s City Centre and went all the way to Uhuru Park where they held a prayer meeting cum political rally.

The three politicians are angling to succeed President Kibaki and that rally was meant to re-assure their supporters that all was well.

The suspects identified by prosecutors at the International Criminal Court as bearing the greatest responsibility for the post-election violence will know whether they will face trial by January 16.  Their lawyers are required to submit their final written submissions on November 16. In the Ruto case, the judges are expected to deliver their verdict by December 24.

The law binds the judges to deliver a decision two months after that date, which means Kenyans will know the outcome of one of the most watched court cases in the nation’s post-independence history in the third week of January at the latest.