Retired President Daniel arap Moi instigated ethnic cleansing in the Rift Valley to keep tight control of the region, the 11th prosecution witness at the ICC claimed Tuesday.
Dr Herve Maupeu, a Europe-based expert on Kenyan issues, also said that Mr Moi was visibly irritated when Deputy President William Ruto was installed the Kalenjin spokesman.
The witness, who was responding to questions from trial lawyer Lucio Garcia, described the retired president as having been skilful in putting down any opposition, including buying them off or “resorting to violence” like the one experienced in Rift Valley during the 1990s.
Mr Moi’s aim, he said, was to “keep a tight control of Rift Valley”.
“During the 90s… then President Moi progressively moved on to the policy of ethnic cleansing in order to keep a tight control of his region, which has many constituencies… This strategy was targeted at the migrant population who had settled in the Rift Valley,” Dr Maupeu added.
“But things became different with regime change. When a Kikuyu (former President Mwai Kibaki) took over, the State changed its policy and resettled more than 300,000 people who had been displaced,” he told the court.
EVICTION OF SQUATTERS
This led to frustrations among members of the Kalenjin because those who had been evicted had returned to take over their land, he said.
“There was also the eviction of the squatters who were obviously Kalenjins who had been resettled, from forest land. This obviously affected them,” he added.
Dr Maupeu told the court that Mr Ruto’s elevation was made through a declaration made at a rally in Eldama Ravine, which was attended by 15 MPs, including the retired president’s son.
He said not all Kalenjins supported this move.
Asked why they were unhappy with the Eldama Ravine declaration, Dr Maupeu replied: “I would interpret it as personal rivalry… When a young politician takes over power, the previous group of leaders (who have been ousted) feel frustrated.”
“It was a bitter pill to swallow for them,” he went on. “As a result of the passing on of the mantle, Mr Moi was visibly irritated by Mr Ruto’s ambition.”
Mr Moi’s irritation, he told the court, came from the fact that the retired president was himself a figure representing the Kalenjin.
Dr Maupeu described the Deputy President’s rise from humble beginnings to the powerful man he is today.
He said Mr Ruto plunged into active politics in 1992, when, as a member of Youth for Kanu, he mobilised people to vote for the then president.
“Mr Ruto was excellent in the technical aspects of running a campaign. He was charismatic and a good speaker. He was independent as well. It is because of this that he became the boss of the Uhuru Kenyatta campaign 10 years later,” the witness said.
“He is extremely good. He knows how to run an election campaign,” he added.
KIBAKI’S RE-ELECTION
The witness said the Catholic Church was opposed to Majimbo and made very strong statements against it during the run-up to the 2007 elections.
“The hierarchy of the church was Kikuyu who supported former President Kibaki’s re-election and were therefore hostile to the idea of Majimbo which was being fronted by his main rivals — ODM — during election campaigns,” he said.-nation.co.ke
