{UAH} Pojim/WBK: Who is behind Moses Kuria? | The Star

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Who is behind Moses Kuria?

Who is behind Moses Kuria?

Deputy President William Ruto greets residents when he toured development projects in Mathioya constituency yesterday.Photo/Charles Kimani DPPS

BY STAR TEAM

October 17, 2015

Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria has set the cat among the pigeons in the ICC cases.

Many people ask why he made accusations about procuring false witnesses and 'fixing' Deputy President William Ruto at The Hague. What's his motive? Was he paid? Who benefits from the furore and is there a long-term plan?

Kuria's colleagues in and out of Parliament are asking who is behind his claims PNU coached witnesses against Ruto.

Central Kenya MPs are quietly expressing anger over Kuria's persistent claims he helped PNU after the 2007-2008 post-election violence.

Ruto and broadcaster Joshua Sang are accused as indirect co-perpetrators of crimes against humanity in the PEV.

MPs speaking to the Star on condition of anonymity said they have reliable information Kuria could be sponsored by powerful forces.

The Star has also learnt the claims could be part of a scheme by the top hierarchy of the Jubilee Coalition, and certain Ruto's allies, to discredit the ICC.

Kuria's claims are said to be part of a larger plan to focus international attention on unreliable ICC witnesses.

The Party of National Unity (PNU) has disowned Kuria's claims. The party on whose ticket former President Mwai Kibaki was elected for his second term in office in 2007 published an advertisement this week saying it was never asked to produce witnesses to commissions that were established to look into the 2007 post-election violence that resulted from the disputed presidential election results.

"At no time was PNU or any of its officials ever requested or required to procure and or to provide witnesses by either of the commissions, or any other body or person, before, during or after the hearings," the party said.

Kenya, through 187 MPs, has petitioned the Assembly of States Parties to investigate how the ICC investigated the Kenyan cases and how witnesses were recruited. The ASP has oversight of the ICC and meets next month in The Hague.

"Kuria gave the window to launch the plan. Do you think MPs can blindly launch such a petition? They have clear guidance from key local and international lawyers familiar with the ICC system," a senior Jubilee strategist, who did not want to be quoted by name, told the Star.

According to some insiders, Jubilee strategists devised the plan to get Ruto's case terminated.

Central MPs are unhappy the fixing allegations will likely disadvantage Central and undermine the goodwill President Uhuru Kenyatta enjoyed during the last elections, particularly in URP zones.

"We know a very influential person visited him at his home a few days before this talk of procuring witnesses began. We know what is being planned," a Central MP said.

State House sources told the Star that though the President has remained silent in the Ruto fixing saga, he "remains very disappointed and unhappy" with Kuria.

"Politically, things may not be very good. We see the signs. What we don't understand is why one of our own is being used to create all this," another TNA MP from Central said.

According to him, there is a wider plot to destabilise the Jubilee government, with Uhuru being the target.

"This talk can force URP to decamp. If that happens, Uhuru will be forced to reach out to another party to form a coalition if he is to win in 2017," said the MP close to Uhuru.

Violence erupted after the electoral commission declared PNU candidate Mwai Kibaki the winner of the December 2007 elections.

ODM, whose candidate was Raila Odinga, claimed its victory had been stolen. Ruto was then ODM's secretary general, while Uhuru was a key ally of Kibaki in PNU.

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Who is behind Moses Kuria? | The Star

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