Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

top

Kenya

Frustration, celebration as Uhuru trial stalls

Even among its supporters, few Kenyans appeared to have much faith left in the ICC trial process.

“Most of the witnesses have either withdrawn or died,” said Joseph Omondi, a civil society activist.

But Omondi said the ICC process — even if it does collapse altogether — had still provided a lesson.

“For the first time, political leaders got to stand in front of a court of law and be accountable, and that will go a long way in instilling responsibility in the political sphere,” Omondi said.

“The failure of the ICC should serve as a lesson to Kenyans and Africans in general. We need home grown solutions to our problems as we are the ones who understand them best. We should never wait for the international community to clean our houses.”

The 2007-8 violence shattered Kenya’s image as a beacon of stability in east Africa when opposition leader Raila Odinga accused the incumbent President Mwai Kibaki of rigging his way to re-election.

What began as political riots quickly turned into ethnic killings of Kibaki’s Kikuyu tribe, which launched reprisal attacks, plunging Kenya into its worst wave of violence since independence in 1963.

Kenyatta and Ruto, rivals in 2007, ran together in 2013 elections for the presidency, beating Odinga by a narrow margin in largely peaceful polls.

Those still suffering from the violence believe they will now never see justice.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

“The other cases are bound to collapse too, it is just a matter of time,” said Stanley Kipngetich, 57, from Mauche in Nakuru county, where there was once heavy fighting.

“The saddest part, however, is that the real perpetrators of the violence will go unpunished, despite the fact that they are known.”

About The Author

Pages: 1 2

Comments
Advertisement

More on Capital News