NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 2 – Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Eldoret North Member of Parliament William Ruto on Saturday held a prayer session in Bomet, in one of their last tours before they fly to The Hague next week to obey summons by the International Criminal Court.
The two leaders who were accompanied by several Cabinet Ministers and other leaders passed through Narok County before proceeding to the Bomet green Stadium.
During the occasion, political leaders expressed their support for the Deputy Prime minister and the Eldoret North MP.
"We will stand with Ruto to the end and shall not abandon him until the case is over," stated Konoin Legislator Julius Kones who expressed solidarity with them saying that the truth of the post-election poll will set them free.
Ainamoi MP Benjamin Lagat also said that he would support the two since the charges against them were fabricated and that the person to blame was Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
"Ruto is carrying Raila\’s cross and a time is coming when the Prime minister will carry his own cross. People from Rift Valley will be in Nairobi to welcome the Ocampo Six on April 11," he assured.
Also present during the rally were Cabinet Ministers Najib Balala, Naomi Shaban, Samuel Poghisio and Helen Sambili among others.
Earlier on, members of the Maasai community held a demonstration on the busy Narok- Nairobi highway to express their anger over the proposed resettlement of Internally Displaced People at Mau Narok.
The protestors destroyed a dais that Mr Ruto and Mr Kenyatta were to use to address the residents of Narok as they proceeded to the County of Bomet for prayers.
Several of those on the entourage were caught up in the ensuing traffic jam for over one hour.
Their efforts to plead with the protestors to allow them to continue with their journey fell on deaf ears.
Efforts by the police to stop the demonstrators from barricading the road were fruitless as the protestors went on to barricade the highway with huge stones and the timber from the dais Mr Ruto and Mr Kenyatta were to use to address the public.
The demonstrators had demanded to be addressed by Mr Kenyatta whom they accused of giving money to facilitate the resettlement of the IDPs at the controversial piece of land in Narok.
It took some time before Mr Ruto could convince the protestors that Mr Kenyatta was not in the convoy.
Later on, the Deputy Prime Minister downplayed his role on the issue and shifted the blame to the Ministry of Lands.
"My work is to set aside funds. (Lands Minister James) Orengo bought the land in Mau Narok and if problems have arisen over it, it is his responsibility to solve it. We have set aside Sh1.8bilion for Mau evictees and Orengo should quickly look for land," he stated.
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