Jubilee and CORD politicians have resorted to spinning yarns about who fixed Deputy President William Ruto at the International Criminal Court.
But what they forget is that the DP, deep inside his soul, and in the minds of his lawyers, knows the people behind his case at the ICC.
The records of the Netherlands-based court show that Ruto’s lawyers have narrowed down to individuals who they believe recruited and mobilised witnesses to testify before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the post-election violence headed by Justice Philip Waki.
Those who were mentioned at the ICC in June a year ago are suspended Interior Principal Secretary Mutea Iringo, President Uhuru Kenyatta’s top advisor Nancy Gitau, former MPs Stephen Tarus and David Koros, human rights activist Maina Kiai and former Cabinet Minister Martha Karua.
During cross-examination of Witness P0613 —Ruto’s lawyer Alagendra Shyamalla drew a political link showing that these people were recruited by a Mr William Rono, and were put into a witness protection programme funded by government.
“… the witnesses, most of them who were identified and mobilised by this group to give their story to Waki, were PNU officials and supporters from the area; correct?” Ms Shyamalla asked the witness.
Confessed
The witness replied: “Correct.”
The lawyer followed it up: “And after they provided their statement and their evidence to Waki, some of these individuals were placed into a witness protection programme funded by the Internal Security Ministry of the government; correct?” To that, the witness confessed knowing the witness protection, but not the funding.
Ruto’s lawyers said that the said Rono had “a close relationship with Mr Iringo, even in 2009 and 2010?” to which the witness said “Yes”.
The lawyers sought to know if the witness was aware that “Rono was in fact acting as an agent for Iringo, and he was monitoring the movements of Waki witnesses and potential ICC witnesses?” But the witness denied knowledge of Rono’s movement.
Kericho Senator Charles Keter, a confidant of the DP who was at Ruto’s side every day at The Hague as soon as he left the courtroom, came back to the country, went to a church in his village in Kericho and told the people that there are senior government officials who “fixed” the Deputy President.
“Kuna watu wa serikali sahi, and they know themselves very well, I don’t want to mention their names. They know they participated in coaching the witnesses, it is high time we threatened to get out of the government,” said Mr Keter.
Another Ruto confidant Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen also asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to sack those who fixed the DP and have them prosecuted.
