Kenya’s deputy PM Uhuru Kenyatta denies violence accusations
By Nangayi Guyson in Kampala Uganda – Kenya’s deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta has denied claims that he incited violence after the 2007 election, in a preliminary hearing at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Kenya's deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta
According to BBC, he told judges at The Hague that some of the prosecution’s evidence were wrong and asked the case to be dismissed before the ICC brings him to trial. The violence began as clashes between supporters of the two rival presidential candidates – Raila Odinga and Mwai Kibaki and ended up leaving more than 1,200 people dead and 600,000 fleeing their homes in weeks of unrest after the 2007 election.
Mr Kenyatta, is a supporter of Mr Kibaki and he is accused of organising a campaign of violence including murder and rape against Odinga supporters.
Court Hearing at Hague
Prosecutors at Hague say he met members of a secretive criminal organisation known as Mungiki at a shopping mall in Nairobi before the election in 2007 to arrange some of the attacks.
But in his response, he told judges. “Your honours, that event never happened,” he said he would never hold any kind of meeting at the centre. “That is where [my wife] does her shopping,” he said.
Mr Kenyatta, the son of the country’s first President Jomo Kenyatta, is hoping to stand in next year’s presidential poll. He is accused of crimes against humanity including murder, rape and forced displacement. Two other senior Kibaki supporters face similar allegations.
Three supporters of Mr Odinga face claims that they organised attacks on Kibaki supporters.
They all deny the allegations. Kenya’s government has been lobbying for the cases to be dropped – a position endorsed in February by the African Union.
Follow the writer at n.guyson@yahoo.com.
