Ruto lawyers counter witness evidence
What you need to know:
- Ms Alagendra said Mr Ruto calmed youths who rioted in Eldoret town and raided Brookside Dairy and burnt a Mololine bus, following allegations of planned rigging of the 2007 election, and that marked ballots were hidden in the milk factory.
- The defence also questioned the witness’s knowledge of the violence in Eldoret Town in the run-up to the elections after he said Uchumi Supermarket was attacked and burnt down on December 26.
- The lawyers produced a statement from Uchumi CEO Jonathan Ciano saying the supermarket was closed on January 2, 2008 after it ran out of stock and that there was no fire.
Deputy President William Ruto’s defence team Tuesday sought to distance him from claims that he incited youth to violence in the run-up to the 2007 elections.
Lawyer Shyamala Alagendra presented the International Criminal Court with a Kenya National Commission on Human Rights report signed by Chairman Maina Kiai that named politicians other than Mr Ruto who allegedly made inciting statements against Party of National Unity supporters.
The report says Mr Ruto only used gender insensitive language when he remarked during the 2005 referendum campaigns that “we have men and there are those who are like women because they fear decamping from the Banana Camp”.
He was referring to the Banana and Orange camps, which campaigned for and against the draft constitution, respectively.
Ms Alagendra said Mr Ruto calmed youths who rioted in Eldoret town and raided Brookside Dairy and burnt a Mololine bus, following allegations of planned rigging of the 2007 election, and that marked ballots were hidden in the milk factory.
The defence also questioned the witness’s knowledge of the violence in Eldoret Town in the run-up to the elections after he said Uchumi Supermarket was attacked and burnt down on December 26.
NO FIRE
The lawyers produced a statement from Uchumi CEO Jonathan Ciano saying the supermarket was closed on January 2, 2008 after it ran out of stock and that there was no fire.
The witness’s evidence that Mr Ruto incited youth during an ODM rally at the Eldoret 64 Stadium also came into focus, with the defence saying the meeting did not take place on December 23 as claimed by the witness, but in November.
“Would you be surprised to learn that on the said date (December 23) ODM leaders were at a meeting in western Kenya before heading to Nyayo Stadium where they held the final campaign rally?” asked Ms Alagendra.
She accused the witness of tapping and listening to the evidence of another witness, whom he introduced to the prosecution, after which he changed the dates the ODM rally took place.
