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ICC judges have terminated the case against Joshua and Sang

Ben Kirui

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has on Tuesday dropped charges of crimes against humanity against Deputy President William Ruto and his co-accused radio journalist Joshua Arap Sang over their alleged roles in post-election turmoil after a 2007 vote, but left open the possibility of an appeal.

"The charges against the accused are vacated and the accused discharged without prejudice to their prosecution afresh in the future," the judges at the International Criminal Court said in a majority decision.

ICC spokesman Fadi El Abdallah said in a statement on YouTube that: "The trial chamber... has decided by majority... that the case against William Ruto and Joshua Arap Sang has to be terminated."

President Uhuru Kenyatta has expressed his excitement over the acquittal of the duo.

Kenyatta says the decision was overdue as the two were innocent against accusation of facilitating post-election violence after the 2007 poll.

“I am delighted that the Deputy President and Joshua Sang’s innocence has been vindicated by a decision of no-case-to answer at the ICC. This moment is long overdue but no less joyful. I join my brothers in celebrating their moment of justice,” the Head of State said from France, moments after the announcement by ICC.

He explained that it was time for the victims of the violence to get justice, accusing ICC of pursuing the case ‘blindly’.

“I must remark on the fact that the victory in this matter is partial and the quest for justice incomplete, because the International Criminal Court elected to blindly pursue ill-conceived, defective agenda at the expense of accountability for PEV,” he said.

President Kenyatta says the government will continue with the process of helping the victims get justice to ensure full healing and reconciliation as many of them still victims await justice, and perpetrators are yet to be brought to account.