Jubilee Vice Chairperson David Murathe has broken silence after allies of Deputy President William Ruto indicated that they read mischief in the surrender and subsequent arrest of lawyer Paul Gicheru at The Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC).
Speaking to the press at a burial in Othaya, Nyeri County, Murathe stated that he had spoken to President Uhuru Kenyatta following the arrest of the lawyer.
He said the head of state was clear that he would not tolerate any government scheme that would result in the ICC cases being reopened.
"I spoke to the president this morning and he would not like anything of the sort to be visited even on his worst enemy, let alone his deputy president, a person they campaigned together and won together. He knows what they went through and would not wish that case to be revived or to be revisited on anyone," Murathe stated.
Murathe speculated that Gicheru may have gone to the ICC to clear his name following a warrant of arrest that had been issued by the international court in 2015.
"He is alleged to have coached witnesses and also involved in witness tampering. He is probably just going to clear the air. I mean, if you have a warrant hanging over your head and you have an opportunity to go and tell your side of the story, I would take it myself," Murathe stated.
Murathe added that Gicheru was a close friend and former lawyer to Ruto who would not be malicious.
"He was his lawyer, I doubt that there is any mischief or any intention to revive that matter," he added.
His sentiments came after a section of the DP allies alleged that the deep state (influential members of government agencies involved in secret control of government policy) was involved in the re-emergence of Ruto's ICC case.
"So the deep state is cornered in real politics and is now resorting to ICC. Bring it on charlatans. Kenya belongs to everyone. Not a few dynasties and their surrogates. Why don't they want to meet Ruto on the battlefield come 2022," retorted Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro on his social media pages.
Kenyatta and Ruto faced charges for crimes against humanity in the ICC, Hague, Netherlands, over the 2007/08 post-election violence, as part of the group famously known as Ocampo Six.
Although their charges were later withdrawn, ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda indicated that the cases would be revied if and when new evidence emerged.
