CORD leader Raila Odinga yesterday launched a scathing attack on Deputy President William Ruto, urging President Uhuru Kenyatta to fire him over the NYS scam.
The ODM leader said the fact that Ruto’s aide Farouk Kibet and his close ally Senator Kipchumba Murkomen have been linked to the scandal is reason enough for the DP to take political responsibility.
Both are reported to have received cash from NYS suspects and have recorded statements with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.
“Those two are his people. Kibet received cash. We need to know on whose behalf and exactly how much he recieved. Ruto cannot continue to walk around and attack other suspects when his own office has been linked to the scandal.
“He must take political responsibility”, said Raila.
There has been a blame game between former Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru, and businesspeople/NYS suspects Josephine Kabura and Ben Gethi and Murkomen.
Waiguru has mentioned Murkomen and Kibet many times in relation to the multiple billion-shilling scandal and both have strenuously accused her of lying.
Expert comment:
On Friday, Murkomen launched into a tirade against Waiguru that included singing our loud. Among other things, Murkomen, a lawyer, said Waiguru should be arrested and face the consequences or the law should be changed and grand theft be declared lawful.
When attacking Waiguru two weeks ago, Ruto said those behind the NYS scam should be behind bars, adding that some of the corruption evidence is in the public domain and “there is no need for investigations” because
there is evidence that money was lost on her ministerial watch.
“Give us a break. Those behind theft of public funds cannot be cat-walking around freely, giving Kenyans a lot of ‘English lectures’ on what actually transpired. Let us be honest and call a spade a spade: It is open public funds were lost,” said an agitated Deputy President.
“Surely, when a hairdresser [a reference Kabura] registers 20 companies and confesses that she actually carried away millions in sacks, what else do you want?”
Kabura is one of the key suspects in the giant scam, and she has also linked Waiguru to the series of thefts.
Yesterday Raila said the Deputy President needs to tell investigators what he knows about the scam.
“Either the President cracks the whip or he tells us if they are together. On whose behalf was Kibet collecting the cash?
It is clear that the people in the dock are small fish,” said Raila.
Raila once again called for a lifestyle audit of Ruto, “So that we can understand where he is getting the millions he is distributing all over every day”.
Demanding Waiguru’s arrest and prosecution,
he declared there was evidence she engineered the irregular payments at the NYS.
An agitated Murkomen urged the EACC and Directorate of Criminal Investigations to charge Waiguru, or corruption might as well be legalised in this country.
He said the evidence tabled by Kabura when she appeared before the PAC was enough to sustain charges against Waiguru.
In his first public response after being linked to the NYS scandal, Murkomen said his law firm did not receive money from Gethi, who is accused of irregularly receiving money from the NYS. He however confirmed that Gethi is his client.
“Those who carried away money in sacks should carry their own crosses. I want to tell Waiguru that the NYS is your own cross. I will not carry it for you. The only thing I can do is to represent you in court,” he declared.
The onslaught from the Deputy President’s side was started by Nandi Senator Stephen Sang, who said the linking of Murkomen and Kibet to the NYS scandal was a scheme to tarnish Ruto’s image.
Sang urged relevant state agencies to prosecute the culprits of the NYS theft.
Read:
Speaking in Narok on Saturday, Raila asked Kenyans to vote out the Jubilee government at the 2017 general election on the basis of runaway corruption.
The former Prime Minister was speaking during a Thanksgiving service for the election of Anglican Church of Kenya Archbishop Jackson ole Sapit, held at his Olenteem rural home in Narok North constituency.
He was adamant that the time was ripe for Kenyans to send the Jubilee government home.
Raila said every time he has unearthed a corruption scandal, he has been dismissed by Jubilee politicians as playing cheap politics only to be vindicated later.
‘’We are not going to allow them to get back to power in 2017, since they will make the country bankrupt,’’ declared Raila.
Raila’s sentiments were echoed by Kajiado Central MP Elijah Memusi and Narok North MP Moitalel Kenta, who urged their Maasai community to rally behind him on Election Day 2017, since the ODM leader was a true champion of a corruption-free country and will steer the nation to its rightful place as one of the fastest developing nations in Africa.
Speaking at the same function, Baringo Senator Gideon Moi and Nairobi Governor hopeful Peter Kenneth defended the Jubilee government against blanket condemnation over corruption, saying that it was only a few individuals who were tainting the government image and corruption has also been reported in the county governments managed by Cord.
“I have known President Kenyatta since my childhood and I can say that he means well for this country since he is a goodhearted person who loves Kenya and would be the last person to want to see it go to the dogs, it is the people who are around him who are failing him,’’ said Moi.
Kenneth said that corruption was an ailment which should be fought by all Kenyans, irrespective of their political affiliations, and it is deeply embedded in all sectors of the economy and not only in the Jubilee government,
since it has also been seen in the counties managed by the Cord governors.
“It is time for all leaders in Jubilee and Cord to stand up against corruption and not play cheap politics with it, we have seen corruption cases across the board, which means that all Kenyans should stand up against the vice if we want to be a developed country, since we have the potential,’’ said Kenneth.
The Thanksgiving service was also attended by Narok Governor Samuel Tunai, Narok West MP Patrick Ntutu, Narok Woman Representative Soipan Tuya, Kajiado West MP Moses Sakuda, among other leaders and top government officials.
Read: