CAPTION: MPs Oscar Sudi Ndindi Nyoro and Benjamin Tayari holding a briefing from Entebbe, Uganda Three of Deputy President William Ruto's most loyal lieutenants have spoken out from Uganda hours after the rebellious second-in-command was blocked from flying out to the neighbouring country.
During the humiliating Monday evening fiasco, Ruto's Communication Secretary David Mugonyi announced Ruto and his team had arrived at Wilson Airport ready for the trip but were advised to seek clearance from the Head of Public Service and Secretary to the Cabinet Joseph Kinyua.
According to a passenger manifest from Phoenix Aviation, Ruto was to travel with a 7-member delegation which included some of his closest allies like Oscar Sudi, David Langat, Ndindi Nyoro, Harun Ayidin, among others. CAPTION: Passenger manifest by Phoenix Aviation showing DP William Ruto’s delegation to Uganda In a video currently doing rounds on social media, some of the members of Ruto's delegation who managed to fly out to Uganda have expressed their frustration towards the mistreatment at Wilson.
Speaking from a hotel room in Entebbe, MPs Ndindi Nyoro, Oscar Sudi and Benjamin Tayari gave a briefing of their ordeal at the airport and revealed how officials went to shocking lengths just to ensure the Deputy President is humiliated.
At some point, they even asked Ruto to produce documents like his official birth certificate and a letter from his local Chief before he could be allowed to board the flight to Museveni's land. "We were taken into circles and rounds, Sijawahi ona ile madharau nimeona leo," began MP Ndidi Nyoro, "We could eavesdrop on phone wakisema ajitambulishe yeye ni nani. Ati atoe Birth Certificate. Ati atoe barua ya chief," he added. Accordingly to Kiharu MP NDINDI NYORO, DP William Ruto was asked by officials at JKIA to produce his birth certificate and a letter from the area Chief before they could clear him to travel to Uganda. ? pic.twitter.com/JEAOPg3TnN — Peter Koima™ (@LilKoima) August 2, 2021 According to the government’s official travel procedure, any member of the Cabinet who wishes to travel out of the country should get approval from the State House.
The details of the visit remain unknown but sources say he was headed for private engagements.
This is also notably the third time within a month the DP was making a private visit outside the Country.
He had recently travelled to Uganda, and Zanzibar using the same Phoenix air services.
Last month, Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni invited Deputy as his chief guest during the official laying of the foundation stone for a vaccine manufacturing facility.
The event took place in Matuga, Wakiso district where the construction of the Biological Drugs and m-RNA vaccine.
After the Uganda visit, the DP went to Zanzibar for a retreat with some of his close allies.