{UAH} Pojim/WBK: GAITHO: With friends like these, the Deputy President doesn’t need - Opinion | Daily Nation
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GAITHO: With friends like these, the Deputy President doesn't need - Opinion
In between an extremely busy schedule that keeps him in the public limelight almost every waking moment, Deputy President William Ruto does find time for higher education.
Mr Ruto is in the public eye almost 24/7, whether gallivanting across the county shoring up his political base, representing Kenya in international gatherings across the border; taking care of his varied farming, real estate and commercial ventures, and building up an awesome political campaign war-chest.
But somehow, he manages to squeeze in the time to attend class, do his homework, conduct research and work on his dissertation. He was still a very active politician when he graduated with a Master of Science in Environmental Studies from the University of Nairobi in 2011, following up on his 1990 BSc in Botany and Zoology.
He is said to be pursuing a PhD from the same university.
A man who somehow conjures up a few extra hours to his every day might have time to read a little more and figure out the origin of the familiar phrase, 'Lord protect me from my friends; I can take care of my enemies'.
The phrase is usually attributed to Voltaire, aka François-Marie Arouet (1694 to 1778), the famous French enlightenment philosopher, historian and writer.
But some researchers credit the phrase to Marshall Villars, Claude Louis, Duc de Villars, a French general and diplomat, who lived around the same time.
In researching the origins, Mr Ruto will hopefully also have time to ponder the profound meaning of the phrase, especially in relation to the political rally staged in Kuresoi on Sunday by 'friends' supposedly out to protect him from the International Criminal Court.
If he does not find time to do that research, I will gladly lend him my copy of the 1981 Peter Tosh album, 'Wanted, Dread and Alive'.
He may have to invest in a vintage turntable because this will be the real vinyl 'plate', but he will hear one of the high priests of reggae sing of his supposed friends:
They will come and Sit round your table/ Wanting to kill you like Cain kill Abel/ Only trying to find an easy way/ That they can try to eliminate you/ Jah Jah guide me from my friends/ Cos I know my enemies/ Long time I been watching them/ I know my enemies...
Yes, the biggest threats to Mr Ruto right now are not Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and the ICC judges. They are not be found at The Hague or the capitals of Washington DC, London and Berlin.
Neither will they be in the entourage of opposition leader Raila Odinga, the remnants of Kanu under Gideon Moi, or the rebellious Bomet governor and namesake Isaac Ruto.
No, the biggest threats to the Deputy President right now are the ticks and opportunists who pretend to be rallying political support to his cause, but are actually providing fuel and ammunition to his enemies.
The anti-ICC prayer rally in Kuresoi was just the latest example of activities that serve only to undermine Mr Ruto's defence in the crimes against humanity case arising out of the 2007-2008 post-election violence.
In reaching the decision to admit recanted evidence against Mr Ruto, the ICC judges depended, not so much on the quality of the testimony, but on indications that witnesses had been intimidated, threatened, bribed, coerced and even eliminated.
Mr Ruto's legal defence team has put up a sterling battle in the ICC courtroom, as has that of his co-accused, radio presenter Joshua Sang; and as did that of the discharged President Uhuru Kenyatta and the other indictees who were set free.
However the good work is undermined by the political leeches only out to feather their own nests.
There's often little to agree with bloggers who hew strident political lines devoid of either rhyme or reason. But with this August 2014 posting from 'Dr' Mugo wa Wairimu, I couldn't agree more: ".
. .With the cases of rape I'm coming across daily in the course of my work, I now support castration of rapists upon conviction 100%. No crime is bigger than rape."
I know just who to start with.
Mr Gaitho is an independent journalist. (gaithomail@gmail.com)
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