• Ruto is keen to consolidate Mt Kenya vote block ahead of 2022
• Impeachment push by his allies will antagonise region
At least 20 principal secretaries and parastatal heads have told the DCI that they are ready to record statements over their La Mada Hotel meetings.
According to sources at the DCI the state officials are waiting for DP William Ruto to record a statement on his claims that those meeting at the La Mada Hotel were planning to assassinate him.
"We would have taken their statements in the last three days but they all said we should wait until the DP and the CSs mentioned record their statements," the source said.
Ruto was yet to record a statement last night and DCI officials were in meetings most of the day to discuss how to proceed.
There is a possibility that President Uhuru Kenyatta's intervention may be sought.
While investigators would prefer a statement from Ruto, it is also possible that they could go ahead without it. In this case, the state will be the complainant.
On Wednesday MPs allied to Ruto asked the DCI to expedite the investigations without a statement from the DP.
MPs Didmus Barasa (Kimilili), Vincent Musau (Mwala), Mathias Robi (Kuria West), Mohamed Ali (Nyali), Stanley Muthama (Lamu West), Gabriel Tongoyo (Narok West) and Wilson Kogo (Chemusei) wondered how a development meeting would exclude Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri whose docket is instrumental in realisation of the Big Four Agenda.
“These individuals have offices. What issues were so important that they could not hold them in their offices but instead conduct them at the basement of a hotel? Kenyans need to know the exact details of what was discussed,” Barasa said.
They maintained that the said assassination allegations were weighty and a speedy probe.
The lawmakers took issue with a move by CSs Peter Munya (Trade), Sicily Kariuki (Health), Joe Mucheru (ICT) and a host of other principal secretaries to hold secret meetings at La Mada Hotel situated off Thika road and demanded full disclosure of the details.
Ruto is in a quandary on how to deal with cabinet secretaries linked to his alleged assassination plot.
On Wednesday, MPs aligned to the DP begun pushing for the immediate resignation of all four CSs mentioned as having been at the night meeting.
However, Kalenjin MPs have kept off the press conferences and refrained from making comments, with sources saying they have been asked to remain tight-lipped.
The game plan is that Ruto should not antagonise the Mt Kenya region whose vote basket he has fought tooth and nail to inherit ahead of the 2022 presidential vote.
“In 2008, Ruto rebelled against Raila to consolidate the Kalenjin nation. If he rebels against Uhuru, he would not consolidate anything but would end up losing Central,” a source familiar with the behind-the-scenes intrigues told the Star.
However, there are fears that the conflict is getting to a point of no return with Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen suggesting the country is on autopilot.
Industrialisation CS Peter Munya said Murkomen was simply implying Uhuru is not in charge.
“To say the country is on autopilot is reckless and casts aspersions on the topmost office in the country. When you say autopilot whom are you referring to?” he asked.
Today, Ruto is expected to come face-to-face with his accusers at the first cabinet meeting since the assassination allegation became public.
Sources said if Uhuru fails to make the matter a substantive agenda for the meeting, CSs mentioned as suspects would introduce it as an AOB.
Munya has insisted the meetings had the blessings of President Uhuru who had last year tasked him with the duty of coordinating development activities in Mount Kenya.
But according to Ali, the assassination claims should not be taken lightly after a prominent unionist alluded to the fact that Ruto will not be on the ballot in 2022.
He also cited a recently leaked audio where a cabinet secretary was allegedly trying to revive the Kiambaa church debate.
Kiambaa church is a permanent reminder of the 2007 post-election violence where innocent Kenyans who sought refuge in a church were burnt to death by unknown attackers.
“We are connecting dots of intelligence, we are not fools, we are watching and seeing what is happening in the country. You should not kill somebody in the name of power, if you want power then power belongs to the people, you go back to the people,” Ali said.
But the defiant CSs have said they will not be cowed.
“Even if you take the impeachment motion to Parliament and I get removed out of that office, I will not miss something to do. Let us be mature,” Munya protested.
He said the reason CS Mwangi Kiunjuri was not attending the meetings was that “he is probably accessible” to the leadership of the region.
“Yes, Kiunjuri is part of Mt Kenya but he was not in the meeting. Maybe he is accessible. I don't know. There were complaints relating to agriculture but many were relating to my ministry, the cooperative sector. Issues of marketing and processing of coffee,” Munya said.
However, Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung'wa noted that they had pushed for development projects in Mt Kenya but they were not aware when the President appointed the team to look into their grievances.
Ichung'wa said despite the CSs and PSS having several meetings, they had not been invited to formally present the issues.
“I wasn’t aware of any such meetings neither have I ever been invited to attend any. I haven’t either heard of any MP, senator or governor who has been invited,” he told the Star.