Poll shows majority want ICC cases against Uhuru and Ruto terminated

What you need to know:

  • The poll by research firm Ipsos Synovate says the number of those in favour of the cases being terminated increased by 14 per cent in the last three months.

Support for the trial of President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy among Kenyans is waning, a new survey shows.

The poll by research firm Ipsos Synovate says the number of those in favour of the cases being terminated increased by 14 per cent in the last three months.

In November, 30 per cent of Kenyans wanted the cases terminated and this has since increased to 44 per cent as at February 15 when the survey was completed. In June last year, 29 per cent of Kenyans wanted the trials stopped.

According to Mr Tom Wolf, the research firm’s socio-political consultant, this is attributed to the admission by ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda that she did not have enough evidence to sustain a trial against President Kenyatta.

Mr Wolf said another factor could be the withdrawal of key prosecution witnesses in Mr Ruto and former journalist Joshua arap Sang’s case.

The three are facing crimes against humanity charges at The Hague-based International Criminal Court as a result of the 2008 post-election violence. According to the Waki report, more than 1,000 people died, more than half a million displaced and many others injured.

Mr Ruto and Sang’s case began on September 10 while the court is yet to rule on whether that against President Kenyatta will go on in light of the admission by the prosecutor.

The Ipsos poll also indicates that as the percentage of those who want the cases terminated increases, those yearning for the case to go on are on the decrease.

It says over the last three months, those preferring the cases to continue dropped by almost 20 per cent points from 64 per cent in November to 46 per cent last month.