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From: ouko joachim omolo
BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2011
OCAMPO SIX TAKE-2
Lawyer David Hooper, representing Mr William Ruto is wondering why Prime Minister Raila Odinga has not been taken to Hague since Ruto was fighting for him. Ruto was not fighting for Raila but used the December 2007 disputed presidential elections to have Gikuyu ethnic communities out of Rift Valley.
The PM is being dragged in as a scapegoat. Lawyer Hooper is not familiar with Kenyan politics. Hooper does not know that the fight is centered on the injustices of land Kalenjins believe were grabbed by the Gikuyu communities. That is why the heart of the clashes in the Rift Valley, and politics is only the excuse.
It explains why Moi’s path to State House was smoothed by him turning a blind eye to the unfettered and aggressive settlement of the Kikuyu in Rift Valley. Having ruled for 24 years, it would seem that Moi cashed the power dividend cheque that he was promised in return for land.
It explains further why since in 1992 the Kalenjin politicians used elections to cause chaos. They took the opportunity in 1997 to cause chaos by massacring and displacing non Kalenjins, especially the Gikuyu community from Rift Valley.
Hooper is also denying that clashes in Rift Valley were premeditated and planned. The record has it that attackers were promised that the incoming ODM government policy was to purge Rift Valley of ‘Foreigners’ from Central Province-That the Foreigners’ land would be parcelled out to the attackers.
They were also promised that they would be paid Kshs 500 per gang for each house torched-That unless the previous owners were killed, they may come back after several years to identify the attackers and reclaim their land, especially if ODM was no longer in power. ODM was then used as the weapon to chase foreigners away from Rift Valley.
In addition, no witnesses should be left in the event of an international investigation. The bows and arrows and other weapons were transported in the trucks of a local businessman. A special Kalenjin oath was taken by all the participants who then camped in secluded places in the forests.
The signal to attack came from designated ringleaders who were also the ones to confirm for the paymasters how many houses each group had torched. They were asked to continue with the activity even though ODM had lost, until such time as they had ‘cleared the area’. Payments for the activities have been honored, with bonuses given for the very active groups.
The Daily Nation (Friday, October 24 2008), describes how the attacks were planned. Daily Nation: – Politics |How attacks on Kisiis were planned – It describes hoe before then, there had been no violence on the Borabu side, although the Kisii/Kericho road, which passes through Sotik, had remained barricaded.
Even as the meeting went on, more houses were being burnt. Thereafter, the violence took the form of spot torching of houses of Kisiis living on the Rift Valley side of the border, as well as sporadic fighting between youths on the border.
The following day, a large crowd of people armed with improvised weapons marched on Kericho town from all directions. They invaded the premises of the Co-operative Bank and Equity Bank as well as Stage Mart Supermarket, and gained access after shattering windows and breaking down doors.
The evidence of co-ordination of the violence is further supported by the Report of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights which related the organised manner in which they were carried out.
According to that Report, in areas like Kipkelion, in advance of contemplated attacks, Kalenjin attackers would place distinctive marks in front of all dwellings that belonged to members of their community as a sign to the raiders as to which houses to pass over when they carried out the attacks.
According to the KNCHR Report the attackers in Kericho, Bureti and Londiani, the latter of which is in Kipkelion, reportedly sent warnings to their victims of the impending attack, before the attacks were actually carried out. Such warnings were delivered by telephone.
The Report concludes that on that premise, there was a premeditated intent to forcibly evict the victims from the region.
In a similar story (Daily Nation August 27, 2008) – a human rights watchdog report accuses senior politicians of inciting and financing the violence. It reported that MP B told a meeting that no one can be allowed to take Kalenjin land and incited attacks against non- Kalenjins. And at a meeting on December 22, 2007, minister E incited the public to attack his political rivals
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights report tabled at the Waki inquiry accuses ministers, assistant ministers and MPs of planning, inciting and financing the post-election violence.
The following are excerpts from the report. Names of those accused and some places have been removed for legal reasons.
Assistant minister A
In the third week of January attended a meeting and incited supporters after which an attack against the Kisii community was intensified. With another MP incited 700 youths to burn houses belonging to the Kisii.
MP B
At a public meeting in December 2007, urged the Kalenjins to fight the Kikuyu until they leave Molo.
With other prominent politicians, attended a meeting at Ndoinet Forest before the elections and incited attacks against non-Kalenjins.
Brought young men from Bomet in groups of 300 to attack the Kikuyu. With others, financed attacks against the Kikuyu and Kisii in Kericho, providing transport, fuel and food, and also hosted meetings at a Kericho hotel and other places.
Told a meeting that no one can be allowed to take Kalenjin land. Organised and financed the transportation of raiders from Trans Mara and Bomet to attack the Kikuyu in Kuresoi.
On December 30, 2007, at a petrol station in Kericho, gave out money to Kalenjin and Luo youths to attack businesses owned by the Kikuyu and the Kisii.
Minister C
On diverse dates in January, February and March, 2008, attended meetings to plan retaliatory violence by the Kikuyu. Contributed funds and organised militia for retaliatory attacks.
Minister D
Early in January, 2008, told a group of youths: “When we tell you to block the road, make sure you block the road. When we tell you to remove the roadblocks, make sure you remove them.”
Raiders were hosted at his home from where they launched attacks against the Kikuyu and the Kisii.
Minister E
In August, 2007, held a meeting with senior party leaders at which they resolved to carry out mass evictions of non-Kalenjins from Rift Valley, particularly the Kikuyu and the Kisii.
During the opening ceremony for a church, said that they would “uproot the weed, shake off the soil … gather it together and burn it” in reference to “outsider” communities.
At a meeting on December 22, 2007, before the elections, addressed a meeting at his home where he incited the public to attack his political rivals if they dared campaign in the area because they were opposed to his policy of evicting the Kikuyu.
Minister F
With another minister attended meetings to organise violence. Also funded the violence.
MP G
Attended and addressed a meeting at Ziwa where violence was planned. Said that all Luhyas should be expelled from Trans Nzoia District.
MP H
On diverse dates in January, February and March 2008 attended meetings to plan retaliatory violence by the Kikuyu. Contributed funds and organised militia and acquisition of weapons.
Minister I
Hosted several meetings with councillors and other leaders at a guest house to plan and organise violence. Also contributed funds towards the violence.
Minister J
During the campaigns incited his supporters against the Kikuyu and the Kisii. Said they must be evicted if they did not vote for him and his party.
Around December 30, a market was burnt in his constituency and several people injured after he told his supporters that the Kikuyu market women had insulted him.
MP K
Hosted a number of people at his home on the day violence erupted in his constituency.
Most of the hate messages were dispersed in vernacular through KASS FM, under one Joshua Arap Sang. There were many moderate Kalenjins who, although voting for ODM, were totally against the plans, and the inciters had to recruit special groups to initiate the attacks.
The reason why William Ruto is being singled out as one of the masterminds behind the violence in the Rift Valley goes back to 1992 when he helped Moi to recapture his seat. The strategy used in 1992 and 2007 were the same.
It explains why the same people who planned the land clashes in 1992 and 1997 are the same one’s who planned the violence in 2007. Moi protected Ruto for many years and he still thinks Kibaki government would still protect him, it can explain why he crossed to Kibaki’s PNU for sympathy.
Although Ruto is crossing to Kibaki’s camp and Uhuru Kenyatta with famous G7 political alliance, thousands of Kikuyus across the Rift Valley who have fled, among more than a quarter of a million Kenyans displaced by the unrest will never forget what Ruto has done to their communities. It hurts though.
Ruto knows how to do his politics. After Moi’s “Uhuru Project” was defeated, Ruto dumped Moi to join Raila he had opposed during the Uhuru Project crisis. In certain instances, Ruto went overboard in his campaign that Moi rule beyond 2002.
Now that Ruto has parted with Raila he is now joining Kibaki and Uhuru for the same strategy. He wants to protect his wealth so he is politically smart. It is one of the reasons why Vice President Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka and Attorney General Amos Wako went all over the world pleading with leaders to convince ICC to bring back the case in Kenya.
Some of the wealth Ruto wants to protect can be traced after NARC came to power. He was arrested together with Mr. Samwel Mwita (a former Commissioner of Lands) and charged with hiving off a portion of Ngong forest and selling it to hurriedly formed companies in a deal that was estimated to have cost Ksh272 million.
The former Minister was later charged with Mwita of defrauding the Kenya Pipeline Company (which allegedly bought the land) of Ksh77 million although the thirty-three counts they were facing were reduced to nine. Ruto was charged with receiving Ksh9,916,836 from Ms. Hellen Njue, the Finance Manager of Kenya Pipeline by pretending that they could sell to her 1.75 hectares of land in Ngong Forest in Nairobi on September 6, 2001,(297) when he was still in office.
After the land was hived off, it was split into thirty-two plots, which were then allocated to thirty-two different companies, which, in turn, sold the land to Kenya Pipeline Company.
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