Leaders hold prayers for DP Ruto, Sang over ICC case

Political leaders held a prayer rally for Deputy President William Ruto and Radio journalist Joshua Sang at Kiptororo grounds in Kuresoi, Nakuru County on Sunday.

In addition to seeking religious intervention on the case, the rally also provided a stage for leaders to express their solidarity with Ruto and Sang who are facing charges at the International Criminal Court in connection to 2007/2008 post-election violence.

Speaking at the rally, the leaders, led by Majority Leader Aden Duale, accused Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda of mishandling the case as they vowed to use every avenue to make sure the case is stopped.

Duale said the court’s decision to allow the use of recanted evidence was unfair to the accused and that the Jubilee Administration would push the Assembly of State Parties to reconsider the ruling.

“They told the AU that the act will not be used in Ruto and Sang’s case but we can see there is a plot to make sure Ruto and Sang and put in jail,” claimed Duale.

Baringo County Governor Benjamin Cheboi poked holes at the ICC case claiming that Bensouda may have been pushed to justify her job by pushing on with Ruto and Sang’s cases.

Last month, the court allowed Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda to use statements of witnesses who had recanted or withdrawn from the case as evidence, a ruling protested by the defense teams and the political support base of the accused.

The leaders argued that when the Assembly of States amended rule 68 allowing use of prior recorded statements, it was not anticipated that the ICC would invoke the provision in ongoing cases, adding that the implantation of the new amendment is retroactive application of the law.

The trial at The Hague, which began with six suspects, has been on for three years now, a time during which some of the accused including President Uhuru Kenyatta were acquitted.