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{
    "id": 493069,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/493069/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 66,
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    "content": "responsibility beyond reasonable doubt.” Three years after naming six Kenyans, three of whom were acquitted, the other three are still grappling with horrendous accusations against them – President Uhuru Kenyatta, Deputy President William Ruto and poor Joshua arap Sang. I think the time has come for Kenyans to actually make an even stronger case for Joshua arap Sang. This is because he is a small fellow. We seem to have forgotten that he is a fellow Kenyan like us and he requires justice, just as the President and the Deputy President. Therefore, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the President, in his Speech, is saying: “I know there is no case against me; the Prosecutor herself has admitted that they have no evidence. Nevertheless, I want to comply with the international rule of law. I will go and hear what they are saying.” It is very surprising! Ordinarily, a status conference is not somewhere you would expect to see accused persons – and there are many lawyers in this Senate who will bear me witness – a status conference is something for lawyers just to discuss procedural issues. So, I think this was supposed to be a trap to find out if the President would go. We are very glad that he went because they thought that if he did not go, then they will shift blame from non co-operation and non-availability of evidence to the fact that he has violated the conditions of the summons. So, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, despite the challenges we are facing in Kenya because the President and the Deputy are involved in this matter, which started way before they were President and Deputy President and therefore, which matter the people of Kenya elected them knowing that this matter is before them, the fact that the Deputy President and now the President have co-operated with the court lays the ground even for stabilizing the rule of law internally. It also lays the ground for a speedy acquittal. I do not see anything else less than acquittal because you cannot manufacture evidence that does not exist. You cannot manufacture a case that does not exist. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I also want to address something that the Speech touches on and which is on the long-term revolves around Kenya’s reconciliation and cohesion. I have held and I still hold the view that the things that happened in 2007/2008 were deplorable. They are regrettable and they exposed the worst part of our society collectively. No amount of prosecutions will heal and correct the mess that we created for ourselves in 2007/2008. As early as three years ago, I remember I wrote an article which was saying that the only way to get out of this mess is to create an impartial, well funded and credible Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC). We have not done that. We misused an opportunity. We created some truth commission which had a good mandate but because of selfishness, leadership squabbles and selfish behaviour among its leadership, that TJRC ended up writing itself into oblivion. Nobody even remembers who they were, what they said and what they recommended. Why? It is because of small The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}