This archive report was first published on 16 August 2019.
Panic in Ruto's Camp as Uhuru Vows to Tackle Corruption ¶
August 16, 2019
Deputy President William Ruto's camp is in a state of panic following President Uhuru Kenyatta's promise to tackle corruption head-on. The President's vow came during a funeral in Murang'a, where he assured the nation that there would be no sacred cows in the fight against graft.
Uhuru praised Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji and Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) head George Kinoti for their efforts in uncovering corruption scandals, including the Sh63 billion dams scandal. He expressed optimism that the renewed war on graft 'will soon start bearing fruit.'
However, Ruto's camp is not taking the President's promise lightly. According to sources, Ruto and his allies have been meeting to discuss how to respond to the DCI investigations. They have agreed to launch an aggressive campaign to discredit Kinoti and the DCI, with some of Ruto's allies, including Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen, claiming that Kinoti is being used to frustrate Ruto's 2022 presidential bid.
Murkomen alleged that there exists a coalition of cartels working to paint Ruto and the Kalenjin community as corrupt to advance selfish political agendas. He argued that Kinoti does not have any information on how the construction of the two dams was being handled, and therefore, his input was misplaced.
