Ruto and Sang Trial Resumes After Seven-Week Break

Today, the International Criminal Court (ICC) trial of Deputy President William Samoei Ruto and former journalist Joshua arap Sang, which resumed following a seven-week break, was held entirely in private session.

Trial Chamber V(a) had ordered Monday’s sitting to hear the testimony of Witness 727. The judges made this order on February 17 after the witness had failed to honor previous commitments to give his testimony.

It is unclear whether the witness appeared before the chamber via video link on Monday as the court had ordered. The location of the witness has not been publicly disclosed.

On Monday, apart from the preliminary introductions of the different legal teams that was conducted in open court, the rest of the proceedings were in private session. The day’s hearing took place over two sessions and did not last more than two hours. Typically a day’s hearing at the ICC is held over three sessions of one and a half hours each.

The last hearing in the trial of Ruto and Sang was held on January 29. The chamber heard testimony from two witnesses in January and most of the hearings were held in private session. So far, Trial Chamber V(a) has heard the testimony of 29 witnesses.

Ruto and Sang are on trial for their alleged roles in the violence that followed the December 2007 presidential poll. They each face three counts of crimes against humanity.

7 Comments

  1. I am a kenyan, not of any political party.
    sincerely when we pin point an individual relatim to 2007 is a henious crime when people whom perpetuatef the war sit and watch innocent people appear before the court for crimes they never commited.
    it is the high time Bensuda you try and carry out new investication.
    Ocampo during his interview in cnn last year stated clearly that people implicated was out of political schemes to eliminate them so that the remaining could be advantageous which am very sure that kenyans still have a wound of a lion so the icc should consider the public interest before anything

    1. Dear tanui,

      There has been no indication in open court as to how many prosecution witnesses are remaining. Of the nine witnesses the prosecution applied last year to be summoned to court to testify, so far only four have given their testimony. It is possible others will also testify. I hope this helps.

      Regards,
      Taegin

  2. I am not a surporter of william Ruto and as such cant take advantage of his predicament because we should call a spade a spade i was an ODM official/activist at that time and i never received any communication from anybody to fight and kill our oponents. People were angered by the results they believed Raila had won but was stollen. Infact the clashes was spotaneuos it was not arranged both Rutto and Sang are innocent

  3. People got killed and the culprit claim they where targeted because of politics. But it’s showing clearly this people wanted power. Now they are in power. This is a killer country, where you can’t witness something an testify on it. Let this Kenyan trial serve as example to this hooligans.

  4. This case from the word go was bound to fail because it was build on political foundation by Okambo to satisfy the powers of the western world. We thank God for standing with Kenya and the innocence. Look the ICC has lost two days waiting for a witness that has decided to tell them that what he had was nothing but lies and from here the Judges terminate case and save ICC the remaining face.

  5. am a kenyan and a christian.the icc should appreciate the fact that dirty politics and psychophancy play rife and open here in kenya.legal systems and other independed institutions are dictated by a few who use all means possible to clinch into power for a purpose of self interest..we are looking forward to see justice given to our people…lets not have sacred cows in justice admistration..

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