Ask Ruto to step aside over NYS, senator tells President Kenyatta

A senator who made headlines in June this year by accusing Deputy President William Ruto of trying to blackmail the Kikuyu community to support his 2022 presidential is at it again.

This time round, nominated Senator Paul Njoroge Ben wants President Uhuru Kenyatta to ask Mr Ruto to step aside to pave the way for investigations into the Sh791 million National Youth Service (NYS) scandal.

“I humbly appeal to the President to ask his deputy to step aside like what happened to his (Ruto’s) former Chief of Staff Maryanne Keitany to pave [the] way for quick investigations,’ he stated.

Mr Njoroge also wants Mr Ruto’s bank accounts investigated to establish whether or not he benefitted from the millions of shillings stolen from the institution.

“I believe the CID and EACC should investigate Deputy President William Ruto’s bank accounts, his aide Farouk Kibet, (National Assembly Majority Leader) Aden Duale and (Elgeyo-Marakwet Senator) Kipchumba Murkomen.

“We cannot continue fooling Kenyans by making them think [former Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne] Waiguru stole the NYS funds yet the real thieves are enjoying the NYS stolen funds,” Mr Njoroge said in a statement.

WAR OF WORDS

But in a quick rejoinder, the DP, through his Communications Director David Mugonyi, dismissed the allegations.

“I have no time to answer such characters,” said Mr Mugonyi. Mr Ruto is on an official visit to N’Djamena, Chad.

The senator, who has stood out as one of the very few politicians from the Kikuyu community to openly criticise Mr Ruto, demanded that the DP come clean on the scandal that has dominated headlines over the last two weeks.

He defended Ms Waiguru against allegations that she presided over the scandal, claiming she could have been hounded out of office after she stood in the way of the NYS looters.

Mr Ruto and Ms Waiguru have been locked in a bitter exchange of words since last Saturday over the scandal.

The DP threw the first salvo last Saturday when he accused Ms Waiguru of presiding over the scandal. He warned that those found culpable would be prosecuted.

But in a quick rejoinder, Ms Waiguru hit back through a series of text messages, asking Mr Ruto to keep off and allow the investigative agencies to probe the matter unless he was out to influence the outcome.

Not one to take matters lying down, Mr Ruto escalated the war of words the next day, claiming that Ms Waiguru was “cat-walking and talking a lot of English” in the face of the loss of public funds.

CLAIMS OF BLACKMAIL

It is not the first time Mr Njoroge has taken on the DP head-on.

In June this year, he ruffled feathers when he accused Mr Ruto of seeking to blackmail the Kikuyu community to back his 2022 presidential bid.

“What is happening now is that the Deputy President is working very hard for the campaigns of 2022. I do not understand why we need to go into that mood when we are in the mood for 2017 elections.”

He argued that, with President Kenyatta already assured of the central Kenya vote for a second and last term, Mr Ruto’s incursions into the region are only meant to garner his support for his 2022 bid for the presidency.

“It’s my feeling that the Deputy President is trying to blackmail the Kikuyu community when we know very well he is adding no value to (President Kenyatta’s) 2017 bid,” said Mr Njoroge.

He added that his aim was not to stoke tension or draw undue attention to himself but to keep the Jubilee boat steady.

“I belong to Jubilee,” he assured. “My heart beats for Uhuru.”

He argued that early campaigns by Mr Ruto would only stoke tension in the Rift Valley region.