Senators ask Hague judges to terminate cases

Jubilee politicians have asked the International Criminal Court (ICC) to withdraw crimes against humanity cases against President Uhuru Kenyatta, his deputy William Ruto and journalist Joshua Sang citing lack of evidence.

Led by Senate Majority Leader Kithure Kindiki and Senator Kipchumba Murkomen, they said the cases were politically motivated and told the ICC judges to terminate them to allow them serve Kenyans.

“The ICC prosecutors had told the judges to postpone the cases until the next election so that they can look for an opportunity to lock the President and Deputy President out of the elections. This clearly demonstrates that these cases were politically motivated from the beginning,” said Mr Murkomen.

“The prosecution at the ICC says they have nothing to link President Kenyatta to the post-election violence while the witnesses say they had been coached to implicate the Deputy President and the journalist in the violence. Surely, it means they are clean and the judges have no option but to terminate these cases.

“We particularly sympathise with Mr Sang because he has lost his job and his children are still young. In fact we urge ICC to terminate his case if possible next week and then the rest can follow. This man is suffering,” said Prof Kindiki.

They spoke on Saturday at the official opening of Chesta Teachers’ Training College in Sigor, West Pokot County.

But Mr Ruto, who was present, avoided the ICC subject, instead saying the government was prepared to deal with perpetrators of cattle rustling in the region.

“We want to change the narrative of this region among other areas from that of hunger, poverty and insecurity to that of productivity through investments in agriculture. Cattle rustling must stop,” said Mr Ruto.

He said the government, together with other development partners, plans to expand the Wei Wei irrigation project to enable the residents concentrate on farming and income-generating activities.

STOP RUSTLING

Noting that investment in education was key to development, the Deputy President said acts of lawlessness in the Kerio Valley could be a thing of the past if residents took education of their children seriously.

Meanwhile, ODM lawmakers have asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to cooperate with the ICC if he wants to be acquitted of criminal charges against him.

They also rubbished the welcome accorded to him as he returned from The Hague on Thursday, terming it an “unnecessary and choreographed” sideshow.

Homa Bay Senator Otieno Kajwang, MPs TJ Kajwang (Ruaraka) and Fred Outa (Nyando) said the welcome-back procession need not have been held.

Speaking in Siaya County at the funeral of Mr John Mark Odongo in Yiro Village, the leaders claimed that Thursday’s happenings had been copied from Cord leader Raila Odinga’s return ahead of the Saba Saba rally.

Mr Kajwang asked the President to “lie low” and heed the court’s directives to be on the safe side.

Additional reporting by Nelcon Odhiambo