Tough week ahead for embattled Ruto

• Agriculture minister William Ruto starts the week a troubled man as the House Business Committee ponders over a motion to force him out

Losing ground

Signs that the Agriculture minister was losing ground were evident last Monday when Prime Minister Raila Odinga called for an international forensic audit of the NCPB activities.

Later the same evening, ODM ministers and assistant ministers met in Mr Odinga’s office at Treasury to discuss the scam.

The ODM meeting set up yet another investigation team whose members include Mr Ruto himself, ministers Mr Orengo, Mr Paul Otuoma and Prof Nyongo.

Other members of the ODM committee include Mr Magara, Mr Adan Duale and Mr Godana Dhadho.

On Saturday, Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission spokesman Nicholas Simani said the organization had written 17 letters to MPs who had written leaders to NCPB seeking favours to appear at Integrity House.

“So far, 10 MPs have appeared before our investigators and given us useful information,” Mr Simani said.

He said the Commission was waiting for the remaining seven MPs who were summoned to assist in the investigations.

In the HBC, Mr Ruto is expected to face some of his colleagues who have already called for his resignation to allow for a thorough investigation of the scandal.

Among those who have asked the minister to step aside include Mr Mutula and Mrs Ngilu. Should ODM close ranks on the scandal, then Mr Ruto can count on the party’s members in HBC to give him full support.

The party and its allies account for 10 of the 19 members.

But once the HBC passes the motion for debate which is likely to be allocated on Wednesday afternoon, the minister may only count on the 21 MPs mainly from Rift Valley who last week vowed to oppose such a motion.

He is unlikely to draw any support from the larger Ukambani districts which have been ravaged by famine and its leaders have launched a fund to raise Sh1 billion to feed their constituents.

The minister may also be undermined by the escalating prices of maize flour which were lowered briefly last month only to shoot up to an all high of Sh120 for a two-kilogram packet.

Igembe South MP Mithika Linturi confirmed that he is waiting for the motion as his constituents are facing famine because of the scandal.