Ruto denies having Sh400m property

Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto on Wednesday denied claims that he has amassed property worth Sh400 million.

Mr Ruto said in a statement that the corruption allegations levelled against him by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission were “malicious, baseless and lacking in substance”.

Mr Ruto was among the 13 governors named in a confidential report handed to the President by the anti-corruption agency and tabled in the National Assembly and the Senate on Tuesday.

According to the report, the commission is investigating how Mr Ruto allegedly accumulated immense wealth, including a helicopter, 40 earth movers, tippers and graders and a Sh33 million palatial residence in Ngong, Kajiado County.

The commission puts Mr Ruto’s accumulated wealth at Sh400 million, with the helicopter’s value put at Sh300 million.

He is also alleged to own a string of petrol stations. The commission says that it is investigating Mr Ruto over the hiring of Red Cross ambulances at a cost of Sh650,000 a month.

“To claim that I own a chopper is a bad lie to the public. I can possibly not own a chopper, perhaps, one day I will own one or even a Dreamliner,” Mr Ruto quipped.

He denied owning a Sh33 million home and asked the commission to show him where it is. On claims that he owns 33 petrol stations, Mr Ruto said nothing could be further from the truth and accused a group of MPs for the allegations against him.

“I don’t own a single gas station and again I invite the commission to help me trace them.”