A presidential advisor has requested leaders not to comment on the ongoing Kenya cases at the International Criminal Court.
Joshua Kutuny, the Director of Political Affairs at the Office of the President, in a statement said the matters before the ICC “are sensitive in nature” and urged “all leaders to desist from discussing or commenting on the submissions being made at the trials”.
This came in the wake of allegations made by Kericho senator Charles Keter – a close ally of Deputy President William Ruto – that 10 senior government officials “coached” witnesses in Mr Ruto’s trial at The Hague.
However, Mr Kutuny criticised those making such claims.
“The ill-advised position being portrayed by some leaders that some individuals in the Jubilee Government who served during retired President Mwai Kibaki’s regime in one way or another coached ICC witnesses to testify against the Deputy President William Ruto should be treated as utterly contemptuous and uncalled for,” the statement read in part.
Mr Keter had also claimed that some of the government officials were also instrumental in designing the case against President Uhuru Kenyatta.
“We cannot keep on sharing power with such individuals. Some of us are not ready to negotiate with such people. We are not going to do that because we want the truth to prevail and we do not know where the loyalty of these people really is,” Mr Keter said at the time.
Mr Kutuny said that leaders should refrain from “creating bad blood and desist from issuing unverified statements that will trigger anxiety in the Jubilee government”.
STOP BLAME
On Thursday, Mr Ruto urged leaders to stop accusing each other over who plotted to take him to The Hague.
“As elected leaders, it is not time for blame games. It is time to unite the country and address issues afflicting our people,” he said.
Speaking in Narok, he asked leaders to stop bickering and focus on development.
However, Mr Keter on Thursday stood his ground, reiterating that some senior government officials coached International Criminal Court witnesses to testify against Mr Ruto.
Speaking in Nakuru, Mr Keter said he had no apologies to make and was ready to repeat the claims anywhere and at any time.
Source-https://nation.africa/kenya
Uhuru political advisor urges Jubilee leaders to stop Ruto fixing debate
