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ICC witness: Raila vowed blood would flow, cried on TV

According to the witness, the former Prime Minister made the remarks on December 30, 2007/FILE

According to the witness, the former Prime Minister made the remarks on December 30, 2007/FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 7 – “I heard Raila Odinga on TV saying if he is not declared winner, both the Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea would come together and be filled with blood,” the 15th witness in the case against Deputy President William Ruto and Joshua arap Sang told the International Criminal Court on Monday.

According to the witness, the former Prime Minister made the remarks on December 30, 2007.

“Madam, I suggest that you are mistaken in your recollection and that Mr Odinga never said those words. The only reference Mr Odinga made to the sea during the elections was to a tsunami and what he meant by that is that there was going to be a great wave for the ODM support,” Ruto’s defence lawyer Leigh Lawrie challenged the witness.

The witness however stood by her words, adding that after Odinga uttered the words, he cried.

The witness who also told the court that she saw Ruto slap former Electoral Commission of Kenya Chairman Samuel Kivuitu, claimed Lawrie omitted the video clip where the incident occurred. Another witness had previously told the court of the slapping incident. READ ICC witness claims Ruto slapped Kivuitu in 2007

Lawrie played two video clips in court where Ruto was seen requesting Kivuitu to give agents some time to give tallies for Tharaka Nithi.

The lawyer asked the witness if she could recall the voice of Kivuitu who was heard speaking in the background on December 29, 2007 at Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC).

Lawyer, “Do you recognise if that is Kivuitu’s voice?”

Witness; “I can’t remember Kivuitu’s voice, he is dead now… I can’t remember his voice.”

The witness after viewing the video clips illustrating the events that took place at KICC which was used as the national tallying centre in 2007, said she could not remember them, but only recalls the part where Ruto slapped Kivuitu.

Presiding Judge Chile Eboe-Osuji intervened, asking the witness if she could remember seeing other events displayed in the video clips.

“With the exception of that part where you say Ruto struck Kivuitu, if one brought that and put it on that video together with everything else, would you say that everything else seen was part of what you saw on TV on that day?” the judge asked.

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The witness responded; “The only one I remember is where Ruto slapped Kivuitu. The rest, I don’t remember.”

Ruto’s lawyer however asked the witness to explain why the incident was not captured by the media despite heavy presence of cameras at the KICC.

The defence further asked the witness why Kivuitu did not report that Ruto slapped him.

The witness said; “the video clips you have showed me, for sure Martha Karua spoke. But the video where Ruto slapped Kivuitu and even James Orengo and others were there, you have not showed (them). And that is why Kivuitu said, I came to the world one day and I will die one day, so I will not announce,” the witness alleged.

The prosecution is expected to present the next witness – P488 who is described as an expert – on Wednesday.

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