Fixing claims won’t split UhuruRuto, Central MPs say

The Members of Parliament were led by Dennis Waweru (Dagoretti South) and the Leader of the Majority in the Senate Kithure Kindiki. Photo/ FRANCIS MBATHA

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 14 – The Central Kenya Parliamentary Group on Wednesday said the Jubilee coalition remained united amid claims that one principal ‘fixed’ the case the other is facing before the International Criminal Court.

The Members of Parliament led by Dennis Waweru (Dagoretti South) and the Leader of the Majority in the Senate Kithure Kindiki said there was no way President Uhuru Kenyatta fixed his Deputy William Ruto in the aftermath of the 2008 post-election violence “as they were fixed by the same people.”

It’s worth noting however that the coalition partners were in opposing sides of the political divide at the time.

The MPs from Central Kenya therefore restated their continued support for Kenyatta – with Ruto still in the dock. The case against President Kenyatta was dropped for insufficient evidence.

The International Criminal Court cases they both faced when they ran for office in 2013, widely seen as what brought them together.

The Central Kenya caucus of over 20 MPs was however adamant that the “scavengers” bandying about accusations that Kenyatta fixed Ruto would not divide the coalition. “They can go get a rope and hang themselves,” Thika MP Alice Ng’ang’a urged.

In Ruto’s interest, Kindiki said the MPs would therefore, “press on” with the prayer rallies they’ve been holding despite criticism from former Justice Minister Martha Karua that they were heightening tension in the country.

READ: Karua to Uhuru on ICC: Face me, don’t send attack dogs

The MPs also urged “others” such as Karua to “come clean” as their Gatundu South counterpart Moses Kuria had, and admit to procuring witnesses to testify against Ruto; thereby ‘fixing’ him.

Kuria has alleged that he in cahoots with Karua and “others” actively recruited persons to give incriminating testimony against Ruto before the Kriegler and Waki Commissions that were tasked with determining who was criminally culpable for the 2008 post-election violence and on whose recommendations, the ICC based their investigations.

Kindiki also urged the wider Kenyan public to adopt an attitude of “forgiveness” as accusations and counter-accusations of ‘fixing’ fly about.

About The Author

OLIVE BURROWS

With a decade of storytelling under her belt, Olive Burrows has been with Capital FM for the last four years and perhaps most notably interviewed US President Barack Obama. Committed to asking the hard questions and telling the story in the most engaging way possible, she has also interviewed Melinda Gates, a UK Minister and severally had the opportunity to sit across from President Uhuru Kenyatta and address the pressing issues of the day. Other notables she has had occasion to seek answers from are UN Secretary General António Guterres and John Kerry in his time as US Secretary of State.

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