Defiant Uhuru hits back at ICC, rivals

President Uhuru Kenyatta Thursday returned from The Hague triumphant, combative and perhaps not a little relieved, to a warm welcome by thousands of supporters.

Mr Kenyatta came by the morning flight from the Netherlands where he had been summoned by the International Criminal Court and was received by Deputy President William Ruto, who had exercised power in his absence.

He hit out at the decision to order him to travel to court at The Hague “only for me to sit there and say nothing”.

Mr Kenyatta had travelled without the ceremonies of office, but they were very much in evidence when he exited the commercial Kenya Airways flight at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

After the formalities, he set off on a five-hour series of roadside rallies across the eastern parts of the city, addressing jubilant supporters, some of who had been bused in from as far as Rift Valley.
At the various stop-overs, he went back to the nationalistic rhetoric, criticising those who thought that the international community had the solution to Kenya’s problems.

In what appeared to be a reference to the post-election violence, the President argued that Kenyans knew what had gone wrong and what they needed to do to restore their country’s dignity.

“Let me tell those who think solutions to Kenya’s problems will come from where they are taking us. They should know solutions for Kenya will be found in this Kenya that belongs to us. It will come from Kenyans themselves,” he told a cheering crowd at the Pipeline Shopping Centre on Outer Ring Road.

The President, who spoke in Kiswahili, defended his decision to honour the status conference summons as a private citizen rather than a representative of Kenya.

“Walifikiria wataniita huko nikatae kuenda. Sisi tunawaambia ya kwamba kuenda tutaenda lakini kama mnafikiria nchi ya Kenya ndio inaenda huko, nchi ya Kenya imebaki na kiongozi William Ruto kule nyumbani.” (They thought I would not go, but I will always heed summons because it is not Kenya on trial. Kenya will be under the leadership of William Ruto.)

DESTABILISE THE GOVERNMENT

But he reserved his harshest criticism for politicians whom he did not name but whom he said were licking the boots of foreigners to be given money to destabilise the government.

At the Makadara Railway Station in Eastlands, Mr Kenyatta accused the unnamed politicians of receiving funding to play disturbance politics.

He used the more earthy Kiswahili equivalent: “To those Kenyans who travel abroad to look for money, it is their right. But let them come here so they can know the real needs of Kenyans. Every time they wake up, they badmouth our country. They are licking the ---- of others to be given money so they come here and disturb us. If they want solutions, they should join us in tackling the problems of our country.”

The President’s welcome ceremonies ended at his Harambee House office, which he reclaimed from Mr Ruto, who had been the acting President.

At various stop-over, Mr Kenyatta used the opportunity to tell the cheering crowds that the court was wasting time.

“Calling someone is not to bring the country to a halt. If they want to help us, let them come and help us look for jobs for our youth, build our roads, or put medicine in our hospitals. But this thing of asking me to go only to sit there and say nothing all that time…that is nonsense.”

His procession to town had seven stop-overs, taking more than five hours between 8.30am and 1pm. At every stop, his message was the same: His government will stand strong, that Kenya does not need tribal leaders, that the ICC will not solve Kenya’s problems and that there are politicians getting funded from abroad to cause trouble.

At JKIA, the President said the Jubilee Government was united and was committed to serving Kenyans.