So, who will stand up for the victims?

On April 16, 2016, Afraha Stadium attained international fame for the second time in eight years when President Uhuru Kenyatta led a victory lap for the Ocampo Six following the ICC dismissal of the case of Deputy President William Ruto and radio presenter Joshua arap Sang.

The two had been indicted for crimes against humanity. Dubbed a “thanksgiving prayer rally”, the event marked the nailing of the lid on the casket that houses the memories of the more than 1,000 dead and more than 350,000 displaced victims of the 2007/2008 post-election violence.

Eight years before, the stadium was the staging ground for those who ran away from their homes to escape death in 2007/2008.

This time around, it provided the platform for the Ocampo Six and their followers to thank God for pulling them out of the grip of the ICC prosecutors.

The high-ranking speakers at the rally asked Kenyans to forget the past and move on to better things. None of the victims of the post-election violence addressed the crowd.

Two days before the Ocampo Six’s victory lap, post-election violence victim Joseph Kairuri Mwangi was buried without fanfare in Kiambaa.

He died of cancer, a disease that he suffered from after his hand was chopped off during the violence. None of the dignitaries at Afraha Stadium attend his funeral or sent a message of condolence to his family.

CONTRAST IN SENSITIVITY

The two events gave a glimpse of the contrast in sensitivity between the ruling class and their subjects. Even though they both centred around the same subject matter, one was a celebration while the other was a testimony in humility.

According to NTV Today, which covered Mr Mwangi’s burial, not a penny from the Sh10 billion set aside by the Kenyan government to compensate the clash victims had trickled to his plate by the time he was lowered into his grave.

Empirically speaking, this should have been a national day of mourning because the ICC ruling marked the end of the opportunity to seek justice for more than 350,000 Kenyans. It is difficult to see how this ruling spelt victory for Kenya.

The ICC prosecutors never summoned the Republic of Kenya to the dock. Six individuals who happen to be Kenyan were the suspects. The Ocampo Six are neither the face of nor do they represent the nation of Kenya. They are equal beneficiaries of the cake that Kenya is, just like any of the more than 40 million individuals who call Kenya their country.

Former president Mwai Kibaki and former prime minister Raila Odinga are rarely mentioned during discussions relating to the 2007/2008 mayhem even though they were the principal competitors at the time.

RETIREMENT BENEFITS INCREASED

Mr Kibaki is not reported to have engaged in any philanthropic activities to alleviate the suffering of those who were affected as he competed for the country’s presidency in 2007.

Ironically, his star continues to rise even in retirement. He was recently appointed Unesco’s Special Envoy for Water in Africa. His retirement benefits were recently increased by Sh33.6 million, in addition to the Sh66.9 million allocated to his office in the 2015/2016 financial year.

The High Court later ruled against the increase, saying it was not in accordance with the Presidential Retirement Benefits (Amendment) Act of 2012.

Like Mr Kibaki, Mr Odinga is not known to be engaged in any philanthropic endeavour to help those who died in his name or on his behalf. He has spent his time since leaving the prime minister’s office crisscrossing the country, seeking votes in the 2013 and now the 2017 presidential elections.

The question that remains unanswered is: who is responsible for the 2007/2008 politically-motivated violence? Former president Kibaki does not know. Former prime minister Odinga does not know. President Kenyatta does not know. Deputy President Ruto does not know. Nobody knows. Really?

They all seem to agree that the killings and arson and displacements took place. Beyond that, all their lips appear to be sealed. They all seem to be in agreement that one of them must be elected president in 2017 to maintain the status quo.

God’s grace remains a mystery as it allows both the good and the bad to claim victory in His name.

Mr Ateku is a Dallas-based freelance journalist. [email protected]