Claims by Deputy President William Ruto that there are plans to resuscitate International Criminal Court (ICC) cases against him is a strategy to seek sympathy, political analyst Prof Herman Manyora has opined.
Manyora said the DP was revisiting the Hague issue and making such allegations to win sympathy ahead of 2022 general election in which he has already declared his interest to run for the presidency.
The university lecturer argued Ruto's allegations holds no water, since it is only President Uhuru Kenyatta who can hand him over to the ICC, and it was unlikely since even him(Uhuru) had also been charged at the same court.
"Who can take him to The Hague? [He seems to be] trying to seek sympathy votes. If somebody wants to take him to The Hague from Kenya, that person can only be the government," he said.
"That would mean he is saying that Uhuru wants to take him to The Hague, which again is very crazy."
In an exclusive interview on Thursday night with NTV, Ruto alleged his political opponents were planning to revive the ICC cases in an attempt to block him from vying in the next polls.
“You never know what they are cooking, maybe there will be other cases. They have already arrived at the ICC case and are looking for witnesses so that they can say this case did not end properly,” he said.
“My political opponents want to make every effort to stop my candidature," the DP added when hosted by Ken Mijungu.
The DP had been charged for murder, rape, among other crimes against humanity in the Hague-based court, but the case was terminated due to lack of evidence.
It was alleged he committed the crimes during the post-election violence which erupted after disputed 2007 polls.