Kirinyaga leaders call for ICC cases to be dropped

PHOTO | VINCENT AYIMBA President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on October 12, 2013. Members of the Kirinyaga Council of Elders and county leaders have called for the cases against the two to be dropped.  NATION MEDIA GROUP

In Summary
Leaders speak out against ICC
Elders ask government to tackle rising insecurity

 By GEORGE MUNENE
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Members of the Kirinyaga Council of Elders and county leaders have called for the cases against President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto at the International Criminal Court to be dropped.

The elders led by the Council chairman Mzee Bernard Kathanga said the sitting President and his deputy were democratically elected by the Kenyan people and should not be tried by the ICC. (READ: UN now the last hope for Kenyan leaders as judges reject plea to skip trial)

"Kenyans demonstrated that they had confidence in the two leaders by electing them and the ICC has no business trying them," Mr Kathanga said during a prayer ceremony.

Speaking at the event, Kirinyaga County Governor Joseph Ndath isaid the President and his Deputy should not be tried in a foreign country. (READ: ICC decision angers MPs)

"Our courts have the ability to try our leaders and the cases they are facing should be brought to our country," he said.

Mr Ndathi added that the two leaders were innocent and were being humiliated at the ICC. He said it was likely the two leaders would not get justice in the ICC.

Mwea MP Peter Gitau and his Ndia counterpart Stephen Ngari who also attended the prayers advised President Kenyatta not to attend his trial scheduled to start on November 2.

"Our President should not appear before the ICC. He is a busy man and he should be allowed to serve his people," Mr Gitau said.

RISING INSECURITY

The elders also asked God to intervene over the rising insecurity in the county. They were concerned that their people were being kidnapped and slaughtered by a well-organised gang.

More than 700 people gathered round a Mugumo tree, considered a shrine by the Kikuyu community, on the grounds of Wang'uru Stadium to pray for the two leaders.

Facing Mount Kenya where the God of the Kikuyu lived, the elders waved flywhisks and held sticks which are symbols of authority while calling on the name of God.

"We have organised these prayers jointly for those in authority. Now that we have a democratically elected President and Deputy President who have shown the ability to bring Kenyans together, we can only pray for them so that the ICC process does not take us back to those dark days. We pray for our beloved leaders. They shall remain and live to keep our country intact and at peace," said Council Secretary General Kibugi Kathigi.

Earlier, Mr Kathanga led a procession of the elders from Ngurubani town to the stadium singing traditional songs before they congregated at the tree for prayers.