Deputy President William Ruto to take legal action against five Cord leaders over Karen land remarks
Deputy President William Ruto at a function on October 8, 2014. Authorities will do everything possible to arrest the bandits who killed police officers in Turkana County, Deputy President William Ruto said on November 2, 2014. PHOTO | SALATON NJAU | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Mr Ruto’s lawyers wrote to the leaders individually stating that they face legal action if they don't recant the remarks within seven days.
- EACC has already ordered senators James Orengo and Muthama to furnish it with information on the allegations they made regarding the grabbing of the Karen land.
A major court battle looms between Deputy President William Ruto and some top Cord leaders over allegations made against him in the multibillion-shilling Karen land saga.
Mr Ruto has written to five Cord leaders demanding an apology and a retraction of the statement that they signed purporting that he is among top Jubilee officials who have benefitted from the Sh8 billion land in Karen, Nairobi.
Senators Johnson Muthama (Machakos), James Orengo (Siaya), Bonny Khalwale (Kakamega), Elizabeth Ongoro (nominated) and Suna MP Junet Mohamed have been given seven days to retract their statement accusing Mr Ruto of abuse of office and being part of the high-ranking Jubilee government officials at the centre of the scandal.
Ruto’s lawyers, Kilukumi and Company Advocates, on October 23, 2014 wrote to the leaders individually, stating that they face legal action if they don't recant the remarks.
DEFAMATORY
The letter, signed by Kioko Kilukumi, noted that remarks suggesting that high-ranking personalities in the Jubilee administration have grabbed a parcel of land in Karen was offensive and defamatory.
Mr Kilukumi said the statement, signed by Mr Muthama, read: “Kenyans have watched helplessly as the tyranny of numbers pillaged public resources and abused power for personal gain under the superintendence of President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto.”
The lawyer said the statement accused his client of being a beneficiary of yet another mega corruption scandal in which he is said to be one of the “main architects in the monumental and unprecedented land grabbing and accusing him of flagrant gluttony.”
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has already ordered senators James Orengo and Muthama to furnish it with information on the allegations they made regarding the grabbing of the Karen land.
The EACC letter requesting information from the two leaders read in part: "It has been widely reported in the media that you have valuable information on the alleged illegal acquisition of the above referenced land. As a responsible leader of this great Country, you have an obligation to give this information to the responsible law enforcement agencies for investigation to unearth the truth."
