Ruto alleges PNU officials’ plot to fix him

Deputy President William Ruto on Wednesday accused the inner core of former President Kibaki of seeking out witnesses in his case at the ICC.

The plan, his lawyer said, was to fix Mr Ruto as the sponsor of the violence that erupted after the 2007/08 General Election.

Defence counsel Shyamala Alagendra told the court that the plan was carried out by senior officials in the Kibaki administration, lawyers sympathetic to PNU, some of whom, he said, even offered cash and protection to witnesses who would testify against Mr Ruto.

Ms Alagendra listed those in the plan as former Gichugu MP Martha Karua, who was at the time the Justice minister, Mr Mutea Iringo, then the Deputy Permanent Secretary for Internal Security and Ms Nancy Gitau, who was President Kibaki’s political affairs director.

The defence said Mr Iringo oversaw a witness protection scheme, which also disbursed cash to those who would testify against Mr Ruto during the Waki Commission hearings.

PNU, Ms Alagendra said, used lawyers Kamotho Waiganjo, currently a member of the Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution (CIC), Mr Njenga Mwangi, Mr Peter Maundu and Mr George Morara, who was in the Vijana na Kibaki lobby group that also included Mr Joseph Njoroge, Mr Evans Gor Semelang’o, Mr Jack Wamboka and Mr Thomas Mbewa.

This group of lawyers, the defence proposed and the witness confirmed, were “associated in some way with PNU” and went to Eldoret in advance of the Waki Commission to procure witnesses who would testify against Mr Ruto. The Waki Commission was in Eldoret between August 5 and 6, 2008.

“What was happening at the time was that ODM was eager to show that PNU had rigged the elections,” Ms Alagendra said.

But on the other hand, she said, PNU wanted to demonstrate that ODM was behind the violence that rocked the country.

“In order to demonstrate that ODM was behind the violence they put together a group of people who would assist them locate witnesses to say ODM was the cause. There was a group of people who came to Eldoret. The group was made up of PNU and government officials. PNU was trying to gather evidence that it is ODM that caused the violence,” Ms Alagendra posed to the witness, who declined the proposition.

According to the defence, the lawyers and government officials who were identifying witnesses to present to the Waki Commission were assisted by former Cabinet minister Stephen Tarus, Ms Karua, Mr Abraham Limo, Mr Iringo, a Mr Bethwell Ruto and a Mr William Rono.

The defence said the witnesses PNU identified were taken to a witness protection programme which was under Mr Iringo.

Defence: Did you hear that the aim of some PNU officials was to blame William Ruto for the violence?

Witness: Yes.

Defence: Regardless of the truth, madam witness?

Witness: Yes.

Defence: Even though he had nothing to do with it?

Witness: Yes

The defence was cross-examining Witness 189 for the second day yesterday. She is the third prosecution witness since the trials of Mr Ruto and Mr Joshua arap Sang started on September 10.

The defence also sought to dismantle the prosecution’s theory that it was only Kalenjin youths who were armed with bows and arrows.

The defence played a video clip of Mr Ruto, former ODM treasurer Omingo Magara and Mr Chris Bichage arriving in a helicopter at Wilson Airport after they were attacked and seriously injured in Nyamarambe, Kisii.

The Nyamarambe incident was dubbed a fundraising meeting which was attended by former minister and Nyaribari Chache MP Simeon Nyachae and Ford People’s Henry Obwocha who the defence said had instigated the violence meted out against the then ODM leaders.

The defence said the Nyamarambe incident was a clear demonstration that not only PNU campaigners had been attacked but also ODM campaigners.

It also sought to demonstrate to the court that both PNU and ODM had supporters from all the ethnic groups.

According to Ms Alagendra, the Kibaki Tena lobby group was chaired by Mr Lee Karuri while other officials were Agricultural Finance Corporation boss William Kirwa, Mr John Kipkorir Too, who was in the PNU presidential elections board and coordinated campaigns in the North Rift and Mr Ken Nzioka, who was the PNU director of elections.

Defence: Am I correct to say PNU was reaching out for the vote of every Kenyan?

Witness: Yes.

Defence: PNU wanted the Luhya, Kalenjin, Kisii, Luo votes. Am I right?

Witness: Yes.

Defence: ODM too wanted all the votes?

Witness: Yes.

Defence: That ODM wanted to portray itself as the party of all ethnicities?

Witness: Yes.

Defence: You will agree with me that there were other prominent Kikuyus in ODM?

Witness: Yes.

Defence: Am I right to say that in 2007 it wasn’t unusual for an individual to support (President) Kibaki and at the same time support Raila (Odinga)?

Witness: Yes.