Its an evil attempt, says DP Ruto as he condemns DCI probe on post-election violence cases

Deputy President William Ruto has dismissed the move by Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) George Kinoti to conduct a probe on matters related to the 2007/2008 post-election violence, terming it as incitement to ethnic hate and division.

While the DCI maintains that his office will not reopen any closed cases, the deputy president insists that bringing up the post-election violence matter at the moment is evil and ill-intended.

“The provocative incitement to ethnic hate/division intended by the resurrection of Post-Election Violence (PEV) is an evil attempt to resuscitate the tribe project destroyed by the hustler movements’ realisation that poverty & unemployment deliberately bred by poor leadership is our problem not our tribes,” said Ruto in a tweet on Tuesday.

On Monday, DCI Kinoti announced that some victims of the 2007/2008 Post Election Violence had reported new threats against their lives, adding that over 100 cases had already been recorded.

“We have registered around 72 cases from those whose wives, husbands, children were killed…We have recorded cases of some who were driven out of their homes…We have 118 cases in total registered today with complainants and witnesses,” he said.

“I do not want to regionalize cases by stating the regions from where those who have registered the cases come from…As DCI, we are welcoming all Kenyans afflicted by this problem.”

However, Kinoti on Tuesday issued a statement seeking to clarify his remarks on the cases being probed. He said: “My address yesterday was in no way intended to mean that we are going to open completed cases which were investigated and closed. It was an acknowledgement of concerns raised by Kenyans, to assure the public of the commitment of the DCI to investigate all reported threats to security and to sensitize the public on the need for peaceful co-existence.”

The DCI’s announcement has since triggered a political fireball, with Members of Parliament allied to DP Ruto now accusing him (Kinoti) of reopening the 2007/2008 Post-Election Violence cases for political expediency.

The MPs are wondering why the State is revisiting the post-election violence matter 13 years later, claiming that the move by the DCI is likely to reopen fresh violence in the Rift Valley.

“Yesterday’s public statement by DCI George Kinoti is yet another instalment of the zealous antics staged purely for cheap publicity to anchor partisan political narratives and fuel divisive agendas,” said Nakuru Senator Susan Kihika.

Nominated Senator David Ole Sankok said: “We cannot afford to reopen the wounds that have already healed. Just as what happened in South Africa after apartheid, there was reconciliation and they decided to move on a country.”

They want the President to explain to Kenyans what he told the International Criminal Court about the government-backed reconciliation.

“The President, Uhuru Kenyatta should come out and tell us, are you the one who told ICC that you have resolved these issues or your the one reopening these issues,” said Senator Kipchumba Murkomen.