Pokot leaders have given an ultimatum to ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda to apologize to the Pokot community for naming late minister Francis Lotodo among perpetrators of 2007-2008 post election violence.
In a local daily witness number 3 in the case against Deputy President William Ruto and Joshua Arap Sang alleged that Francis Lotodo was among three individuals who were planning for violence at undisclosed location.
Speaking during a press briefing in led by Pokot south Member of Parliament David Pkosing and Pokot council of elders chairman John Mwok, the leaders said it is a taboo to speak about the dead and called for immediate apology from the Hague based court.
Pkosing said the inclusion of the later minister the case facing the two Kenyans clearly show that ICC witness were objectively procured to fixed the deputy president and Sang.
“This poses a fundamental question on the ICC case showing that the work of the prosecution was very poor’” he said.
He said the the allegations show the case was fixed and lack objectivity since Lotodo died on 8th of Nov 2000 and was dead during the 2007 general elections.
He said all the witness being used in the case against the Deputy President William Ruto and Joshua arap Sang were objectively procured to fix the DP and has no weight over the case.
“This confirms the fears of the Kenyans that ICC is a kangaroo court that is being used politically to fix the Deputy President,” he said.
He said the allegations against the one time powerful minister during Moi regime is defamation to his family, the Pokot community and Kenyans at large.
“We want the ICC to apologize to Kenyans for naming the dead in the case against the DP, as a community we are not happy with how ICC is conducting itself,” added Pkosing,.
Pokot Council of Elders John Mwok said the community will petition the ICC for using the name of dead in the case facing the two Kenyans.
Mwok said the ICC should quickly apologize to the community for what he said is defaming and demeaning the community.
“We are wondering why ICC is being unfair to Kenyans because such sentiments will depolarize the country and bring hatred among communities,” he said.