Clear with the ICC first, Bett tells Uhuru and Ruto

Roads minister Franklin Bett yesterday
asked Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Eldoret North MP
William Ruto not to seek the presidency in the coming general election. ''They instead concentrate their energies to clearing themselves from
the pending cases at the International Criminal Court at The Hague,''
said the minister.

 He said while he respects the
democratic rights of the two and their innocence on post-election
violence that rocked the country in 2007/2008 resulting to deaths and
destruction of property, the international community is focusing its
attention on how Kenyans will vote. “If  I was
to advise my dear brothers William Ruto and Uhuru Kenyatta on how to go
about the ICC case at hand, I would ask them to suspend their quest
for the presidency till 2017 when they will have cleared themselves
instead of complicating their case by vying for the top seat hence
sending wrong signals to the international community,” said Bett.

He
made the remarks at King’wal African Inland Church in Nandi Central at
the weekend during a fund-raising for a cleric going for further
studies in Australia. The minister sharply differed with the
Orange Democratic Movement chairman Henry Kosgey campaigns to be the
party’s presidential running mate, saying North Rift does not deserve
more political positions.

The minister, who is the MP for
Bureti constituency, said Kosgey’s campaigns to be Prime Minister Raila
Odinga's running mate ''is part of a wider scheme to short-change
members of the  Kipsigis community who got a raw deal from the party''. “These
are schemes meant to abort my plans of becoming the next deputy
president under the ODM government of Raila Amollo Odinga, and I wonder
why North Rift leaders are not satisfied with the positions they have,”
said Bett. “Three Cabinet slots in ODM were handed to this
region apart from the party chairmanship. This time round, they already
have a presidential candidate (William Ruto) and if South Rift is
asking ODM to give it the slot of deputy president, why should they
also demand the same post? This is mischief,” he said.

Bett
who came out in the open to fight back declared that all Kalenjins
must have level playing ground and that members of the Kipsigis
community were now suspicious on the reasons behind frequent short
changings by their colleague from the North. Accompanied by
Ronald Ng’eny, the ODM nominee who was rejected by parliament to the
East African Legislative Assembly, the minister charged that it was
unfortunate that even a section of MP’s from rift valley and those
allied to United Democratic Forum did not vote for him.

“I am still challenging  Ruto
(Eldoret North MP) since he has declared to be the Kalenjin leader to
convene a meeting for all leaders to find way forward for the community
that should include  Former president Daniel Moi, Nicholas Biwott and even Mzee Barng’etuny so that we can forgive one another otherwise  we will mark time till Jesus comes.” The minister said.