The Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji has revealed that no evidence has been brought against Deputy President William Ruto in connection to the Arror and Kimwarer dams cases.
Speaking on Wednesday, Haji noted that the assumption is that the DP is connected to the case but his name was not in the files before the court .
“As far as I am concerned and from where I am sitting, no evidence has been brought against him," he stated.
The DPP further affirmed that his office would not be used to settle political scores in the Kimwarer and Arror dams scandals.
“That does not mean I’m siding with anyone, I’m just being factual and saying that his name is not in the files,” he added.
In November 2021, Azimio la Umoja Presidential candidate Raila Odinga accused Ruto and his allies of halting the construction of the multi-billion shilling Arror and Kimwarer dams.
Odinga, who spoke while on tour in West Pokot County, said the two dams would have been completed by now and serving thousands of locals in the counties of West Pokot and Elgeyo Marakwet if it were not for the scandal surrounding the projects.
“Serikali ilisema Sh21 billion imeibwa, alafu makamu wa rais anakuja anasema ilikuwa Sh7 billion pekee (The government said Sh21 billion was stolen but the DP has said only Sh7 billion was stolen),” said Odinga.
In February 2019, the Deputy President denied claims that Sh21 billion was lost in the Arror and Kimwarer multi-purpose dam projects in Elgeyo-Marakwet saying only Sh7 billion was in question.
“You have heard that the government has lost Sh21 billion in Kimwarer and Arror dams which is a flat lie. The money in question is about Sh7 billion and for every coin that has been paid, we have a bank guarantee,” Ruto said.
In November last year, former treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich and his co-accused were charged afresh in the scandal.
Rotich and his co-accused persons faced the charges afresh after the prosecution sought permission from trial magistrate Lawrence Mugambi to amend the charge sheet to reflect the new charges.
The DPP directed the withdrawal of a case against former Principal Secretary Kamau Thuge so as to make him available as a prosecution witness.
Rotich and his accomplices were charged over abuse of office and misuse of funds meant for the construction of the dams.
They all denied the charges in the lucrative tenders that were issued to an Italian firm whose directors are yet to be charged.
On May 26, 2022 Rotich was charged afresh as the prosecution removed the names of former Principal Secretaries Kamau Thugge and Susan Koech who had been charged with him.
The two will testify against Rotich during the hearing.
