By Koigi Wamwere
Cabinet minister William Ruto has been daring the world to take him to The Hague. Because he is allegedly innocent,he was sure The Hague would acquit him. He also claimed,were The Hague to try him,he would be dead long before the court’s verdict was delivered.

As for a local tribunal,maybe rightly,Ruto dismissed it as easy prey to political manipulation.

However,Ruto’s preference for The Hague was a bluff. He never believed it would happen. Now that Kofi Annan and Moreno-Ocampo have called his bluff,Ruto and his coterie have panicked and changed tack. They want neither The Hague nor a local tribunal. They want no trial at all. Instead,they want the Truth,Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC).

When Ruto says we must choose between prolonging the conflict between poll riggers and anti-rigging killers and promoting reconciliation by avoiding both courts,he sounds like Charles Taylor telling Liberians to elect him or face more war.

Like Taylor,Ruto is threatening Kenya to either grant him impunity or face endless ethnic conflict and war. With this,he is giving Kenya its most difficult test since independence and the most brazen opportunity,so far,to entrench impunity: forget justice and let perpetrators of violence go scot free or Kenya burns!

By giving Kenya a choice between peace and war,Ruto is attempting a civilian coup. Now is the turn for the world to call Ruto’s bluff asking Kenya to choose between war and peace,justice and impunity.

Kenya cannot have peace and reconciliation built upon impunity,threat of ethnic war and surrender of justice. To end impunity,no one should be above the law,investigation or prosecution for post-election mayhem.

We need three mandatory institutions: The Hague to try big shots that planned and financed the mayhem.

Second,we need a local tribunal to try the thousands of ethnic criminals that cannot be taken to The Hague,but must pay for crimes against humanity and genocide.

Third,a TJRC to address decades-old oppression,exploitation,ethnic hate,torture,illegal detentions,assassinations,human rights violations,massacres and inequalities between individuals,classes,communities and regions restore justice and equity.



The chief value of money lies in the fact that one lives in a world in which it is overestimated.

Every Kenyan wants impunity to be buried deep under the earth's crust. I do too because the thought of someone ordering deaths and the asking muta do? is maddening. Same is the issue of public servants stealing our money and building empires of hotels,companies e.t.c and asking kwani watadoo what? How did Moi get all his wealth? How did Kenyatta Get to own so much land? How did Michuki get to own so much?

But while at it,Koigi should ask himself where he was born or where his father was born and then how he ended up calling Nakuru (Subukia) home. Many more people should ask these questions in Molo,Uasin Gishu e.t.c.

Similarly,we should ask ourselves why we chose to focus on Ruto alone and not Uhuru Kenyatta who has also sought a court's assistance to have his name taken off blame in the PEV killings?

Sincerety in the quest for justice is paramount.


What a bam bam?

@Bambam,like Koigi,you also mention some relevant issues of major significance. I think the TJRC should look into bad money which was stolen and the 'thieves' continue to enjoy themselves with the same money.

I beg to differ with you though,that Koigi and others should ask themselves about where they live - Kenya is for all! Hata Ukienda Moyale,you have as much right to live there as the original residents. Buying land is something kawaida,you can get a title deed for any land so long as it is properly sold to you. Koigi's family paid for their land,so did our brothers and sisters who were killed,raped and displaced by the so called 'warriors'. The financiers of this terror ought to face crimes against humanity charges.

Such crimes are way heavier in the heart . This is the priority IMO. Anyone who threatens the peace ought to be dealt with with alacrity and the seriousness that it deserves.

Kama huyo jamaa ako kwa list,let him face whatever is coming. Hata ukiwa ndugu yake,atasimama peke yake,so will the others,including the other man you mentioned. For Kenyans,the way that will definitely kill the threat is what will work! No one is guilty until proven so,so why the panic among the ranks?

When we r no longer under threat,TJRC can come in to reconcile us,correct some historical issues and we can form a stronger nation than ever before...


Baraka za Mungu ni za Ajabu