A storm sparked by an MP’s claim that ODM and PNU leaders fixed Deputy President William Ruto at the International Criminal Court ( ICC) raged on yesterday.
Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria has sensationally claimed that he and other PNU leaders fabricated evidence against Ruto in the aftermath of the violence following the 2007 presidential election for which both President Kibaki and ODM leader Raila Odinga claimed victory.
Kuria has also claimed that Raila, Senator Anyang’ Nyong’o, then ODM secretary general, and former Justice Minister Martha Karua also played a role.
Yesterday, over 20 Jubilee MPs asked Raila and Karua to come out and say what they know regarding the alleged procurement of ICC witnesses in the case against the DP.
The MPs joined Kuria at a Press conference in Parliament Buildings to claim that Raila and Karua were privy to the events that led to several key witnesses ending up at the ICC to give evidence against Ruto.
“The Gatundu South MP has stated the obvious. What Raila and Nyong’o need to do is to search their conscience and stop burying their heads in the sand and tell the truth. We ask Karua to respond to this latest milestone in the search for truth about the PEV,” said the statement read by Mandera Senator Billow Kerrow.
“What Kuria said is what we have always known. He has stated the obvious. There are many other people in the political divide who have not come out. Moses is our hero, he has spoken where others would not have spoken,” said Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen.
Yesterday, Karua, who is also the Narc Kenya party leader, gave Kuria 24 hours to publicly apologise for the claims or face legal action.
Karua’s lawyer Gitobu Imanyara told the MP to publicly apologise over the claims or else a case would be filed against him at the High Court tomorrow.
Karua claimed Kuria was just a messenger and challenged Ruto to record a statement with the Director of Public Prosecutions if he had evidence to support the claims that she procured witnesses against him.
“These are wild and unfounded allegations and there has been a recurrent theme in Ruto’s defence at the ICC of mentioning my name and claiming that I procured false witnesses. I want to challenge William Ruto, if he has evidence to show I have anything to do with his Hague case, let him be bold enough, come out, stop sending emissaries, stop telling your lawyers to mention me carelessly, say it yourself so that I can take you head-on,” Karua told a Press conference in Nairobi yesterday.
Karua explained during her tenure as Justice minister, investigating or searching for witnesses for the ICC cases was not part of her job.
She questioned the timing of Kuria’s allegations, wondering why it was coming at the tail-end of the ICC case against the DP.
But Kuria challenged Karua to sue him. “Let her go to court even today. I’m no stranger to the corridors of Justice. Martha has said that she doesn’t know me. Please tell her that I’m the fellow she was with in PNU,” Kuria said.
“In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act… Our prayers have been answered. Our long-held convictions have been vindicated,” read the Jubilee MPs’ statement.
And Opposition MPs called for the arrest and prosecution of Kuria over the claims linking Raila and Nyong’o to the ICC cases.
Yesterday, Raila asked the Director of Public Prosecutions to order the prosecution of Kuria for obstructing justice, perjury and fabricating evidence.
Raila said he noted a continued attempt by the political fellowship that Kuria belonged to cover up their actions by yet again dragging his name into the ICC issue.
“It would appear that Hon. William Ruto’s prayers are getting answered and his real enemies are giving themselves up without being cajoled or coerced. Hon Raila believes this will go on until the real “Prince” who has been executing these Machiavellian tactics against Hon. William Ruto is exposed. Hon Raila believes that this “Prince” is the same one who began the propaganda in 2012 that it is Hon Raila who fixed Ruto,” Raila said in a statement yesterday.
Nyong’o challenged Kuria to give more details of his self-incriminating pronouncements.
“I would like to thank Honourable Moses Kuria for revealing to Kenyans his role in the case involving the Deputy President William Ruto at the ICC. May Mr Kuria be kind enough to give Kenyans more details regarding my meeting with him together with Raila Odinga,” Nyong’o said in a statement.
MPs John Mbadi (Suba), Olago Aluoch (Kisumu West) and Raphael Otaalo (Lurambi) said Kuria should be arrested for his self-incriminating utterances.
Aluoch said Kuria should be arrested to shed more light on how they coached witnesses and fabricated evidence to implicate Ruto.
Mbadi, who is ODM national chairman, dismissed Kuria’s claims, saying ODM did not present any list to the ICC to implicate any person for crimes committed during the violence.
