Kenyatta joins Ruto to celebrate dropping of ICC charges

Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto led a thanksgiving rally on Saturday following the termination of International Criminal Court (ICC) cases by the Hague based court less than a fortnight ago.

Kenyatta, Ruto and four others accused by the ICC of crimes against humanity arrived in a white truck in Nakuru town which is several kilometres from the capital Nairobi.

Arrived at Afraha Stadium annex for #AsanteKenya pic.twitter.com/dJAWVty0Nm

— President of Kenya (@PresidentKE) April 16, 2016

Popularly known as the ‘Ocampo six,’ ICC judges dismissed the last case against Ruto and journalist Joshua Arap Sang early this month.

“We have closed that chapter, we will not go anywhere else, we will not allow anyone else to be taken anywhere else, we have our own courts here. I would not wish to see another Kenyan going through the same journey we went through. If we have an issue, the answer to it lies here. For those who might be looking for us, they need to know we are not there and we will not go back.”

During the rally, Kenyatta and Ruto called on Kenyans to shun divisive politics and unite as one nation.

“It is my prayer that God shall give us the grace and the favour that never, never again shall the people of this great country shed innocent blood or destroy property on account of political competition,” said Ruto.

The two also vowed to resettle and compensate those who were displaced in the post-election violence.

DP WilliamsRuto and I en route to Afraha Stadium for a Thanksgiving Prayer Service #WeAreOneAfraha #AsanteKenya pic.twitter.com/g5OaiNU3GK

— Uhuru Kenyatta (UKenyatta) April 16, 2016

Less than a fortnight ago ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda announced the termination of the cases against Ruto and his co-accused Sang citing political interference and witness tampering.

Ruto and Sang were accused of being criminally responsible of murder, deportation or forcible transfer of population and persecution arising from Kenya’s disputed 2007 and 2008 post-election violence.

The ICC said it found it hard to secure cooperation from the Kenyan government.

Kenyatta had also been charged in the same court after ICC prosecutors accused him of being responsible as an indirect co-perpetrator pursuant to murder, deportation or forcible transfer, rape, persecution and other inhumane acts. But his charges were dropped in December 2014.

The other three were former Head of Civil Service Francis Muthaura, former Commissioner of Police Hussein Ali, and former chairman of the main opposition party Henry Kosgey.

The East African country broke into mayhem after disputed polls in 2007 saw former president Mwai Kibaki secure a second term. As a result, at least 1,100 people died and over 650,000 others were displaced.