Deputy President William Ruto’s defence Tuesday challenged the evidence of an ICC witness by presenting video clips of what he said during rallies. The clips conflicted with the witness’ accounts given to the ICC. Witness P-0658 was asked to explain what inciting message Mr Ruto is said to have spoken at the Eldoret 64 stadium, during a No campaign against the draft constitution, after he said that the accused incited the Kalenjin against the Kikuyu in Rift Valley. Lawyer Karim Khan read the verbatim of what Mr Ruto is reported to have said at the rally during the 2005 referendum campaigns, and challenged the witness to identify the inciting words. The witness said Mr Ruto used the Kiswahili word wazembe in reference to leaders who were in support of the draft constitution, saying it was an abusive word that should not be used by a leader of Mr Ruto’s stature. EXPLAIN MEANING ADVERTISEMENT Presiding Judge Chile Eboe-Osuji, asked the witness to state what it meant, after Mr Khan explained to the court that it means ‘lazy’. But the witness said it had another meaning, which he could not explain to the court. “The word wazembe does not only mean lazy, but it is an abusive word whose meaning and interpretation I will have to go and consult,” the witness told the stunned court. At the Eldoret 64 Stadium rally, Mr Ruto, who was accompanied by the leader of opposition at the time, Mr Uhuru Kenyatta, reportedly referred to leaders asking the President not to take sides in the campaigns as lazy. The 27th witness told the court he also had issues with the remarks by Mr Ruto that President Kibaki, who led the Yes team, was distributing money to voters while being assisted by Meru Senator Kiraitu Murungi, in a bid to have the draft constitution accepted by Kenyans. He also termed as propaganda a statement that a case would be opened against the people of Uasin Gishu, if the draft constitution was passed, saying the leaders in the No camp peddled such unsubstantiated claims in their quest to defeat the proposed law. A ceremony to mark the Koitalel arap Samoei day in Eldoret on October 19, 2005, also came into focus, with the witness claiming that Mr Ruto denied PNU leaders a chance to speak. However, a video showing Mr Ruto welcoming Mr Kibaki was played to refute the evidence.
Posted on: Wed, 10 Dec 2014 03:48:51 +0000