Ruto leaves the ICC while holding an umbrella for himself and daughter June on Monday, October 14/DPPS
P0189 told the court that trouble began few days after voting in the poll when ODM supporters alleged that PNU supporters had stolen ballot papers and hidden them at the Brookside Dairy in Eldoret.
“There were rumours that there were stolen election papers that were being hidden at Brookside Diary. The ODM supporters thought PNU supporters had stolen ballot papers and hid them at the Brookside Dairy. ODM supporters threatened to burn down the dairy,” she explained.
After a private session, Presiding Judge Chile Eboe-Osuji asked for clarification from the witness regarding Ruto’s presence shortly after the PNU and ODM supporters clashed over the ‘stolen’ ballot papers.
“For the completeness of the exercise, the witness had testified that from the information that relates to her that Ruto was at the scene, and the purpose of his presence was to calm down the situation and calm down the youth,” the judge said.
The Prosecution however clarified that Ruto was not at Brookside Dairy but at a police station.
The witness who said she was a member of the ‘Kibaki na Warembo’ campaign group recounted to the court that PNU campaign plans on the outskirts of Eldoret town were thwarted as ODM supporters especially those from the Kalenjin community used road blocks and even attacked them.
“There was a day we went to a place called Sinai village near Eldoret. There were roadblocks, and we didn’t pass through. That day we were many… we were between 200-300 people. The roadblock was on the Eldoret-Iten Highway,” the witness explained.
She also said PNU supporters planned to campaign in Cheptiret, Kimumu, Munyaka and Langas – all areas in Eldoret and its outskirts.
She told the court that most of their campaigns faced animosity from the ODM supporters who were the majority in the area.
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