The International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecution on Tuesday played a video clip in which former Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi was seen asking people to sharpen their knives because people had sharpened theirs to cut the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party into pieces.
Mudavadi who was attending a rally in which deputy President William Ruto was bestowed as a Kalenjin elder said there were people who had sharpened their knives to cut ODM and urged ODM supporters to also sharpen their knives in readiness to counter them.
“It is indeed a big day for people from this region. It is also a big day for my friend William Ruto, because he has been given a lot of respect, this is not a small thing,” Mudavadi explained in Kiswahili.
“Watu wamejiandaa, wamenoa visu, wanataka kukatakata hiyo ODM. Wakinoa visu vyao na sisi tunanoa vyetu. (people are ready, they have sharpened their knives, they want to cut ODM into pieces. When they sharpen their knives, let’s also sharpen ours),” Mudavadi was heard telling a crowd that had gathered to witness Ruto being bestowed a Kalenjin elder.
The prosecution did not elaborate what it thought Mudavadi meant.
Earlier the prosecution played video clips of former Speaker Kenneth Marende supporting Ruto’s elevation as an elder of the Rift Valley region.The witness – PO247 – could however not recall witnessing Marende and Mudavadi speaking after the prosecution played the two videos in the court.
The prosecution which was leading the 20th witness in their evidence has been trying to prove to the ICC judges that Ruto was a powerful leader in the Rift Valley to demonstrate his criminal liability in the 2008 post election violence.
In previous trial sessions, some witnesses confirmed that Ruto was bestowed a Kalenjin ‘king’ to demonstrate his power during the violence that followed the disputed presidential poll after 2007. In most of the video clips played previously, instead of Ruto, ODM leaders at the time were the ones caught on video urging ODM supporters to vote three piece – and avoid ‘madoadoa’ meaning to avoid splitting ODM votes.
On Tuesday, Ruto’s lawyer David Hooper complained to the court that the prosecution needed to give a proper programme of presenting its witnesses. He said the defence teams who have to meet their travel costs to be at The Hague were getting inconvenienced by the unforeseen breaks over lateness in presentation of prosecution witnesses.
On Monday, the court took a break and on Tuesday the prosecution said it could only confirm when the next witness will appear for the trial after checking his/her availability.
Witness PO247 is expected to complete his evidence in chief on Wednesday to pave way for cross-examination by the defence teams.Wednesday’s hearings will only be during the morning session.
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