Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Gladys Boss Shollei has strongly defended President William Ruto against renewed claims linking him to the Kiambaa church attack during the 2007 post-election violence.
Speaking on Monday, Shollei said it was unfair and misleading to blame Ruto for the tragic incident simply because he was the Member of Parliament for Eldoret North at the time.
She noted that such accusations ignore key facts surrounding the events of that period.
According to Shollei, President Ruto was not present in Eldoret when the Kiambaa church attack occurred on January 1, 2008.
Instead, she stated that Ruto was in Nairobi at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), where he was actively involved in defending Raila Odinga’s presidential vote tally.
Shollei emphasized that Ruto was part of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leadership during the disputed election and was focused on national political processes, not local violence.
She argued that attempting to link him to the Kiambaa tragedy is a distortion of history driven by political motives rather than facts.
The Deputy Speaker further cautioned against the use of painful national tragedies to score political points, saying such actions reopen wounds for victims and survivors of the post-election violence.
She stressed that accountability for the violence should be based on evidence, investigations, and the rule of law, not assumptions tied to political office or geography.
Shollei also reminded Kenyans that the 2007–2008 violence was widespread and involved many actors across the country, making it inaccurate to single out individuals without proof.
She called for responsible public discourse, especially when discussing sensitive historical events that claimed innocent lives.
Her remarks come amid renewed political debates as the country reflects on past injustices while navigating current political alignments.
Shollei urged leaders and citizens alike to focus on unity, truth, and healing rather than revisiting the past in a divisive manner.
She maintained that Kenya can only move forward by learning from its history without manipulating it for political convenience.
By Whizerwriter