Ab-Titchaz
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- Jan 30, 2008
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Ruto left out of Kerry visit over ICC case
DEPUTY President William Ruto is the only top government official and political leader in this country who was excluded from meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry.
Ruto, according to diplomatic sources, is also unlikely to meet US President Barack Obama when he visits the the homeland of his late father, due to the crimes against humanity charges facing him at the International Criminal Court.
On Monday, President Uhuru Kenyatta met the top US diplomat at State House, Nairobi – without Ruto.
Previously the Deputy President has been with the President at most such high level meetings, including visits of presidents and prime ministers.
Instead, President Kenyatta was accompanied to the meeting with Kerry by, among others, Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery, Foreign Affairs CS Amina Mohamed, Defence CS Raychelle Omamo and Attorney General Githu Muigai. Also present was Civil Service chief Joseph Kinyua.
While the President met Kerry on Monday, Ruto was at the Intercontinental Hotel, Nairobi, officiating a World Press Freedom Day event.
He was later in the afternoon driven to Kiambu county, where he presided over the laying of the foundation stone for the Safaricom M-Pesa Foundation in Thika.
"The DP did not meet Kerry. That is a fact. Whether it's linked to his case at the International Criminal Court, I cannot tell," a source familiar with the details told the Star.
Ironically, it was the DP who received former US President Bill Clinton and his daughter Chelsea on Friday last week at JKIA.
Yesterday Ruto's spokesman David Mugonyi confirmed that Ruto did not meet Kerry, but dismissed speculation that this was due to the "essential contacts" policy of the US government hinted at in diplomatic circles in 2013 when both the President and the DP were newly in office and had cases at the ICC.
President Kenyatta's ICC case was terminated in December 2014.
Mugonyi maintained that Kerry and his boss were not scheduled to meet anyway, adding that Ruto had to represent the President at the Press Freedom Day event, where Uhuru himself was initially scheduled to officiate.
"There is nothing like essential contacts here," he told the Star yesterday.
"Was it not the DP who received former US President Clinton last week? The US ambassador has also been to the DP's office," Mugonyi said.
Ahead of Kenya's 2013 presidential election, the Western world powers sent out strong signals against electing two suspects who faced trial in real time at the ICC and warned it would have "consequences" for the country internationally.
"Choices have consequences," the then US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Johnnie Carson said.
Ruto's ICC case continues, with the last prosecution witness expected to take the stand on May 26.
The ICC factor is likely to place Ruto in a more awkward position with Obama's planned visit in late July. Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho did not answer our calls when we phoned for an official perspective on the protocol implications.
After meeting the President on Monday, Kerry was driven in a convoy of cars to the Serena Hotel, where he met the opposition chiefs, led by Raila Odinga.
Flanking Raila were former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka and Senate Minority Leader Moses Wetang'ula.
On Tuesday, Kerry met a number of civil society organization operatives, including activist Boniface Mwangi, who is loathed by the Jubilee administration for his frequent spectacular anti-government protests.
Kerry later left for Mogadishu, Somalia, becoming the first incumbent US Secretary of State to visit the strife-torn country.
- See more at: Ruto left out of Kerry visit over ICC case | The Star
DEPUTY President William Ruto is the only top government official and political leader in this country who was excluded from meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry.
Ruto, according to diplomatic sources, is also unlikely to meet US President Barack Obama when he visits the the homeland of his late father, due to the crimes against humanity charges facing him at the International Criminal Court.
On Monday, President Uhuru Kenyatta met the top US diplomat at State House, Nairobi – without Ruto.
Previously the Deputy President has been with the President at most such high level meetings, including visits of presidents and prime ministers.
Instead, President Kenyatta was accompanied to the meeting with Kerry by, among others, Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery, Foreign Affairs CS Amina Mohamed, Defence CS Raychelle Omamo and Attorney General Githu Muigai. Also present was Civil Service chief Joseph Kinyua.
While the President met Kerry on Monday, Ruto was at the Intercontinental Hotel, Nairobi, officiating a World Press Freedom Day event.
He was later in the afternoon driven to Kiambu county, where he presided over the laying of the foundation stone for the Safaricom M-Pesa Foundation in Thika.
"The DP did not meet Kerry. That is a fact. Whether it's linked to his case at the International Criminal Court, I cannot tell," a source familiar with the details told the Star.
Ironically, it was the DP who received former US President Bill Clinton and his daughter Chelsea on Friday last week at JKIA.
Yesterday Ruto's spokesman David Mugonyi confirmed that Ruto did not meet Kerry, but dismissed speculation that this was due to the "essential contacts" policy of the US government hinted at in diplomatic circles in 2013 when both the President and the DP were newly in office and had cases at the ICC.
President Kenyatta's ICC case was terminated in December 2014.
Mugonyi maintained that Kerry and his boss were not scheduled to meet anyway, adding that Ruto had to represent the President at the Press Freedom Day event, where Uhuru himself was initially scheduled to officiate.
"There is nothing like essential contacts here," he told the Star yesterday.
"Was it not the DP who received former US President Clinton last week? The US ambassador has also been to the DP's office," Mugonyi said.
Ahead of Kenya's 2013 presidential election, the Western world powers sent out strong signals against electing two suspects who faced trial in real time at the ICC and warned it would have "consequences" for the country internationally.
"Choices have consequences," the then US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Johnnie Carson said.
Ruto's ICC case continues, with the last prosecution witness expected to take the stand on May 26.
The ICC factor is likely to place Ruto in a more awkward position with Obama's planned visit in late July. Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho did not answer our calls when we phoned for an official perspective on the protocol implications.
After meeting the President on Monday, Kerry was driven in a convoy of cars to the Serena Hotel, where he met the opposition chiefs, led by Raila Odinga.
Flanking Raila were former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka and Senate Minority Leader Moses Wetang'ula.
On Tuesday, Kerry met a number of civil society organization operatives, including activist Boniface Mwangi, who is loathed by the Jubilee administration for his frequent spectacular anti-government protests.
Kerry later left for Mogadishu, Somalia, becoming the first incumbent US Secretary of State to visit the strife-torn country.
- See more at: Ruto left out of Kerry visit over ICC case | The Star