Ruto dismisses graft scandals in scathing attack
What you need to know:
- He said some leaders have been bothered by his spearheading of development projects in the country.
- Mr Ruto said the Big Four agenda cannot be achieved if he sits in his office in Nairobi.
- On Sunday, Mr Odinga toured Mr Ruto’s backyard and revived the Kimwarer and Arror dams’ scandals.
Deputy President William Ruto on Monday dismissed claims that billions of shillings have been lost in corruption scandals that have rocked the country.
Mr Ruto said those claiming so were only looking for political relevance and were out to prolong the suffering of Kenyans.
His scathing attack, in apparent reference to opposition leader Raila Odinga, came a day after the ODM leader visited Elgeyo Marakwet where he linked Mr Ruto to the alleged dam scandals.
The DP said his antagonists have been opposing development projects for their own selfish gains, and called them ‘lords of poverty.’
“Yesterday (Sunday), I heard that person who is fond of rhetoric opposing harambees in church, for women groups, for bodaboda, and he does not want any sort of funds drive,” Mr Ruto said.
ASSASSINATION PLOT
In a terse statement, however, the Orange party, through its secretary-general, Mr Edwin Sifuna, accused the Deputy President of seeking to “bury the news of his fake assassination plot and its flat failure to generate sympathy, [which] he desperately needed and hoped for.
“And so we are not surprised that today, Ruto has gone on a tangent again, ranting and cursing with the characteristic anger and bitterness at Raila Odinga, the man Ruto believes owes him the presidency,” read Mr Sifuna’s statement.
Mr Ruto said some leaders were bothered by his spearheading of projects in the country, and in a desperate move to curtail him, have been alleging corruption in the said schemes.
Mr Ruto added: “He (Raila) has been alleging corruption in Eurobond, dams, SGR and the Northern Collector Tunnel Water Project. They want you to continue being poor so that they can continue oppressing you.”
EXTERNAL DEBTS
“I’m asking, what kind of a leader are you, visionless and planless? You oppose everything because you are the lord of poverty. Someone who opposes development, is he leading people who are alive or dead? He can only lead cows or goats,” he said.
Mr Ruto, who was speaking at Ekerenyo in North Mugirango, Nyamira County, said that the Big Four Agenda could not be achieved if he sat in his Nairobi office and that he had to be at the grassroots.
The DP was accompanied by Kisii Deputy Governor Joash Maangi and about 10 MPs from Kisii and Nyamira counties.
The group fund-raised for women groups in Ekerenyo before moving to Rigoma in Kitutu Masaba for another fundraiser in aid of bodaboda riders.
