23-29 October 2015

1. Ruto, the Jubilee Government,  and the ICC

Privately Owned Media

IDPs want the ICC to drop Ruto's case (The Star, Kenya-based private station, October 28 2015)

• Some of the internally displaced persons and victims of the 2007-08 post-election violence have written to the ICC to drop the case against Deputy President William Ruto and journalist Joshua Sang.
• The IDPs, who have been resettled in the Rift Valley, dismissed the case as “a stumbling block to strengthening peace and reconciliation in the region”. -

Ruto says Bensouda has failed absolutely to prove he is guilty (Daily Nation, independent Kenyan-based paper, October 27 2015)

• Deputy President William Ruto has said prosecutor Fatou Bensouda has failed to prove he his guilty.
• In a 95-page submission for a no-case-to-answer motion which is highly redacted, Mr Ruto argues that Ms Bensouda has failed to prove that he committed the crimes of murder, forcible displacement of people and persecution during the 2007/08 post-election violence.
• He also attacked the prosecution’s argument that the violence was masterminded by a network headed by Mr Ruto, targeting PNU supporters in certain regions of the country.

Ruto files ICC bid to end case as Sang requests prayers (Daily Nation, independent Kenyan-based paper, October 25 2015)

• Deputy President William Ruto has filed the no-case-to-answer motion seeking to have the post-election violence charges against him terminated before he can start calling his witnesses.
• The filing comes days after Kenya moved to lobby African signatories to the Rome Statute to force a discussion on the controversially amended Rule 68.
• Furthermore the Kenyan government continues their lobby on the 33 AU members who signed the Rome Statute.

Kenya urges UN Security Council to defer Ruto, Sang ICC case (Daily Nation, independent Kenyan-based paper, October 23 2015)

• For the second time in two years, Kenya is urging the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to defer cases against Deputy President William Ruto and former radio journalist Joshua arap Sang.
• The country’s Permanent Mission to the UN, in a petition dated October 16, wants the UNSC to defer the case since Kenya’s concerns over the matter have not been addressed since October 2013.
• In the petition, Kenya argues that its concerns of Kenya, and indeed of the African Union on this matter remain unresolved to date.

State-Owned Media

Ruto files no-case-to-answer motion at ICC (K­enyan Broadcasting Corporation - KBC, State-Owned Radio Station, October 27 2015)

• Deputy President William Ruto’s defense lawyers have filed a motion of no case to answer in the ongoing ICC trial at The Hague, citing lack of sufficient evidence by the prosecution to link Ruto to the three counts of crimes against humanity.
• In particular, the lawyers are accusing the office of prosecution for failure to produce evidence to link the Deputy President with an organization dubbed Network that was allegedly responsible for the 2007/08 post election violence.
• The prosecution on the other hands, argue that Ruto orchestrated, and headed the organization.

2. Al-Shabaab

Terror group plans evictions in Wajir (Daily Nation, independent Kenyan-based paper, October 29 2015)

• Police have discovered a new Al-Shabaab cell in northeastern Kenya that is planning mass evictions in the region.
• Police believe the cell operates from Wajir and spreads terror to other towns. It is also recruiting youths from the region.