It is high time Ruto learnt there’s time to speak and time to let things pass
This photograph dated June 6, 2014 shows Deputy President William Ruto (right) with Devolution and Planning Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru (left) at Safaricom Indoor Arena in Nairobi. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
Though not named by Ms Waiguru, an angry DP went on the attack and, in turn, tied her to Ms Josephine Kabura who confessed to PAC to owning 20 companies that were paid more than Sh1 billion by the NYS and, therefore, to the theft.
He accused Ms Waiguru of “cat-walking” and speaking “kingereza mingi” (a lot of English) yet her hairdresser had confessed to withdrawing millions from banks and carrying the cash in sacks as if it was potatoes.
Interestingly, and for the second time this year, Ms Waiguru denied knowing Ms Kabura who claims they know each other and that the former CS introduced her to the NYS and facilitated the registration of her 20 companies.
Deputy President William Ruto is in his element when he is explaining the Jubilee agenda and achievements of the government the party runs. Indeed, it was Mr Ruto who one bright afternoon in 2012 memorably defined the 2013 General Election as a generational analogue-versus-digital contest.
The DP does even better when he scalds and scorns opposition kingpins Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetang’ula respectively as mganga wa risasi moja (medicineman with one bullet); jamaa wa kupitia katikati (the sneak-through-them fellow); and yule alipigwa na bibi juzi (he who was recently battered by his wife).
Indeed, it will be recalled that the DP, confident about his ability to get under the skins of the Big Three, this year asked President Kenyatta to confine himself to addressing development matters and to leave him to run the trio ragged by returning their propaganda fire. Soon, the clip in which he disparages Mr Odinga & Co hit social media.
But the DP last Sunday, still confident of the scorching effect of his caustic tongue, talked himself into trouble when he sought to put down former Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru. Ms Waiguru had the previous Thursday appeared before the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to answer questions on the wanton theft of taxpayers’ money at the National Youth Service (NYS) on her watch.
Eloquent and confident, Ms Waiguru alleged a scheme by a powerful cartel that kicked her out of the Cabinet. She tied the DP’s aide Farouk Kibet and surrogate Senator Kipchumba Murkomen, to Mr Ben Gethi, who has been charged in connection with the Sh791 million NYS theft, and, therefore, brought Mr Ruto into the graft frame.
JOSEPHINE KABURA
Though not named by Ms Waiguru, an angry DP went on the attack and, in turn, tied her to Ms Josephine Kabura who confessed to PAC to owning 20 companies that were paid more than Sh1 billion by the NYS and, therefore, to the theft. He accused Ms Waiguru of “cat-walking” and speaking “kingereza mingi” (a lot of English) yet her hairdresser had confessed to withdrawing millions from banks and carrying the cash in sacks as if it was potatoes. Interestingly, and for the second time this year, Ms Waiguru denied knowing Ms Kabura who claims they know each other and that the former CS introduced her to the NYS and facilitated the registration of her 20 companies.
Ms Waiguru did not take the DP’s catwalk (showing off) jibe lying down. She searchingly wondered why he was uncomfortable with her testimony before PAC and found it telling that he could comment publicly on a matter being handled by competent government agencies.
Ms Waiguru pointedly reminded the DP that if he knows anything regarding NYS he should give evidence to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, the Department of Criminal Investigations or PAC. She suggested that because he had something to hide, he was either deliberately going against parliamentary rules or politicising the on-going inquiry into graft. The DP must have realised he put a foot wrong when opposing MPs joined the fray in support of Ms Waiguru and requested her to let on all that she knows about theft at NYS. Mr Odinga’s surrogates were pleased to add their anti-graft voice to Ms Waiguru’s and to Mr Ruto’s discomfiture as they forced his reputation into question again.
RIVETED PUBLIC
Obviously watching the fight between Mr Ruto and Ms Waiguru keenly was social justice activist Boniface Mwangi and his lawyer Gitobu Imanyara on the one hand, and the DP’s lawyer Kioko Kilukumi and Jubilee fraternity on the other hand, and a riveted public in the middle. Mr Mwangi, in an unprovoked September 30 tweet, linked the DP to the unresolved murder last May of controversial wheeler-dealer Jacob Juma. Like Juma before him, Mr Mwangi expressed fear for his life.
His demand for an apology from Mr Mwangi contemptuously rejected with the rider that he had no reputation to protect, Mr Ruto sued for defamation. Mr Mwangi moved to link the DP to corruption, extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearances, among others, in a case that has sharply divided opinion.
Many wish the DP did not go to court for he risks having his name dragged through mud so much so that a victory will be at best pyrrhic. But others contend that if he doesn’t fight Mr Mwangi to the death, he will drag many more reputations through the mud. Has the DP bitten the bullet to fight Mr Mwangi to the bitter end? Time will tell.
