Though the majority leader of the Senate honourable Aaron Cheruiyot was of the opinion that the county assembly had proven some counts against the governor beyond doubt, a six word phrase he said at the end of his speech may have informed the his majority side which decision to take and thereby saved the governor.
After urging the governor to do soul searching by reading the bible to find out what is that other people don’t like about he closed his speech with this statement ; ” I have been told to talk to the legislators but I just want to say this; IF THE GLOVE DOESN’T FIT, YOU MUST ACQUIT”
Although the phrase seems to be unclear in its meaning, the phrase clearly informed most members of his Kenya Kwanza faction the decision they were to take – perhaps the position of the party.
In this context, the phrase suggests that if a piece of evidence is not a perfect fit or if there is doubt about its relevance, it may lead to an acquittal of the accused.
The phrase dates back to between 1994 and 1995 when football player and actor O.J Simpson was accused of murdering his ex wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman.
One of the key evidences in the case was a bloody glove that was found at the murder scene. The prosecution claimed that the glove belonged to O.J Simpson and that he wore it when murdering his ex wife.
Things however took an abrupt turn when the judges asked O.J Simpson to try on the glove before the jury. Simpson struggled to put on the glove clearly indicating that it was too small for him. His attorney then said ‘if the glove doesn’t fit, you must acquit’.
Clearly, Senator Aaron Cheruiyot was telling KKA senators that the glove/evidence was not enough and that the governor must be acquitted.