Deputy President William Ruto has hit back at the Raila Odinga-led ODM party, which accused him of watering down President Kenyatta’s commitment to the war against graft.
Last week Thursday, Ruto distanced himself from the alleged misuse of funds by KEMSA to procure Covid-19, noting that he is just a spectator. He said that for once, he won’t be blamed for the corruption scandal.
Then on Sunday, the DP further accused ODM of taking advantage of the handshake between Raila and President Uhuru Kenyatta for “personal gain” and to defend corrupt activities at the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency.
This prompted a response from ODM, with the party’s sec-gen Edwin Sifuna saying ODM is not defending corruption but that they first want an audit by the Auditor General.
Sifuna also claimed that the DP suggested it is okay for funds to be stolen as long as he is not the one to blame.
“It was “disheartening to hear no less a senior government official than the Deputy President go public with a juvenile and improper statement about not being blamed for the mess.
“Even more unsettling [is that his remarks] express the jealousy of being left out of the gravy train,” Mr Sifuna said.
DP Ruto has now responded to ODM, accusing the political outfit and its top members of being beneficiaries of the KEMSA scandal.
Read the DP’s full response posted on his official Facebook page Tuesday.
“The Covid Billionaire heist at KEMSA is a deplorable manifestation of the worst public vice. The hypocritical “former” Opposition have clearly characteristically changed tune.
First, they told us we should ignore what was happening at KEMSA, and that there was nothing wrong with some newly registered suspect companies being awarded tenders worth billions.
2. Then, they told us that the media was sensationalising “business” at KEMSA by ostensibly elevating “rumours” to facts.
3. Now they have told us nothing should happen in KEMSA until something called “special” audit is done.
Kenyans want to know the following:
a) When did they change their position on the role of the media?
They have always told us the media is independent and has a role in informing the public and over-sighting the Government.
They chastised us when we said criminal investigations should not be carried out in the media. What has changed?
b) The DCI, EACC and DPP are constitutionally independent institutions expected to work independently; never at the direction of any person or office and this must be the case even in this scenario.
Where do they now find the power to direct independent institutions on what to do and how?
What is the REAL motive of the “special” audit and to be carried out by who-cover up?
Why must “independent” institutions wait for a special audit before they carry out their mandate?
My friends, your double speak is too loud for our ears.
Your double standards are too glaring and obvious to our eyes.
What happened to taking political responsibility?
What happened to stepping aside?
Why is it different now?
The stammering, staggering and flip-flopping is obviously a confirmation of thieves caught red handed stealing from the sick, endangering the lives of the front line workers and robbing the dying.
It is clear that you, the owners and operators of the Corruption Laundromat are working overtime in your effort to “sanitise” the Covid Billionaires.
The perpetrators of this heist are lucky they do not carry the tag “Ruto allies”, otherwise they would have taken political responsibility, stepped aside, written statements, companies investigated, individuals arrested and hauled to court.
By now they would be arranging bail. But here we are, stuck at some “audit”. ISORAIT.”
