Why Is DP William Ruto Speaking For Dam Fraudsters? – MP Gladys Wanga

A section of Members of Parliament led by Homabay Woman Representative Gladys Wanga have questioned Deputy President William Ruto’s recent remarks on Ksh21 billion dams scandal, alluding to the DP protecting fraudsters.

This is following the Deputy President’s remarks on Thursday that reports on the Ksh21 billion lost in Arrow, Kimwarer and Itare projects are “a flat lie”.

The DP said the money under investigation was about Ksh7 billion and that no money would be lost since Procurement and Construction plus Financing (EPC+F ) comes with a protected bank or insurance guarantee.

“You’ have heard that the government has lost about Ksh21 billion which is a flat lie! The money in question is about Ksh7 billion, and for every coin that has been paid, we have a bank guarantee,” he said.

The DP was responding to claims that the government lost Ksh21 billion in the dams scandal, the scam that has sucked in key government officials and cabinet secretaries.

Reports indicate that CMC di Ravenna had wired billions of shillings as kickbacks to unnamed peoples account at a bank in Westland, Nairobi.

Further, it’s said that Arror and Kamwarer dams, whose construction cost is put at Ksh63.4 billion, have stalled and the contractor is not on site.

In a series of tweets posted on Wanga’s Twitter handle said to represent views of the members of parliament allied to NASA, the legislator said the DP must declare his interest in the saga of dams fraud.

The law makers include Junet Mohammed (Suna East), Florence Mutua (Busia), Samuel Atandi (Alego Usonga) Godfrey Osotsi (Nominated) and Teddy Mwambire (Ganze).

According to the legislators, Dr Ruto has taken over the role of spokesman for the alleged saga including talking on behalf of the ministries involved.

The legislators, further, argue that the Ksh7 billion quoted by Dr Ruto contradicts earlier reports by the Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti which puts the amount lost at Ksh21 billion.

The members, question why the DP has personalized the issue, to the extent of blaming the revelations on President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga’s March 9, 2018 handshake.

“@WilliamsRuto has gone ahead to provide his own version of the amount lost, “a mere Ksh7 billion”  contradicting @DCI_Kenya . Even more shocking is the degree to which the DP has personalised this matter, blaming the revelations on the @UKenyatta @RailaOdinga handshake,” she said.

The legislators now want the DP to explain his interest in the scandal and if he still has faith in the capacity of the office of the DCI probing the matter.

“@WilliamsRuto should help Kenyans understand what his interest is in this corruption case is; whether he has faith in the capacity of @DCI_Kenya and why he is interfering with the work of an agency which currently enjoys the confidence of majority of Kenyans,” she added.

According to the law makers, if the fight against graft is to be successful, the DP must separate his 2022 presidential ambitions from the fight against corruption.

“@WilliamsRuto must separate his 2022 presidential ambitions from the desire by the people of Kenya for a corruption free government. Kenyans will not suspend that desire so that he can be President,” she said.

They now demand that the DP must show commitment in the fight against corruption by declaring a stand on which side he stands on matters corruption.

“Corruption must be fought today and not tomorrow. @WilliamsRuto is either with Kenyans on this or he is against Kenyans, in which case, he is alone. There are no two ways about it,” Wanga tweeted.

1/RUTO MUST DECLARE HIS INTEREST IN THE SAGA OF DAMS SCANDAL: As members of Parliament, we are appaled at the reaction by DP William Ruto to revelations that the country lost billions of shillings through shadowy and even criminal procurement in a bid to build dams #DamScandal

— Gladys Wanga, CBS (@gladyswanga) March 3, 2019

2/For reasons that are anyone's guess, @WilliamsRuto has taken over the role of spokesman for Arror, Kimwarer and Itare dams and the various ministries involved. The revelations about grand theft in the name of these dams did not come from the Opposition as he claims. #DamScandal

— Gladys Wanga, CBS (@gladyswanga) March 3, 2019

3/ @DCI_Kenya has confirmed that it is indeed investigating the loss of upto Ksh 21 billion in construction of dams. To the utter shock of Kenyans @WilliamsRuto has taken it upon himself to explain this scam, making himself the spokesperson for all affected ministries

— Gladys Wanga, CBS (@gladyswanga) March 3, 2019

4/@WilliamsRuto has gone ahead to provide his own version of the amount lost, "a mere Ksh7 billion" contradicting @DCI_Kenya . Even more shocking is the degree to which the DP has personalised this matter, blaming the revelations on the @UKenyatta @RailaOdinga handshake

— Gladys Wanga, CBS (@gladyswanga) March 3, 2019

5/ @WilliamsRuto should help Kenyans understand what his interest is in this corruption case is; whether he has faith in the capacity of @DCI_Kenya and why he is interfering with the work of an agency which currently enjoys the confidence of majority of Kenyans

— Gladys Wanga, CBS (@gladyswanga) March 3, 2019

6/ @WilliamsRuto must separate his 2022 presidential ambitions from the desire by the people of Kenya for a corruption free government. Kenyans will not suspend that desire so that he can be President.

— Gladys Wanga, CBS (@gladyswanga) March 3, 2019

7/Corruption must be fought today and not tomorrow. @WilliamsRuto is either with Kenyans on this or he is against Kenyans, in which case, he is alone. There are no two ways about it.
Signed: NASA Mps @florence_mutua @HonOsotsi @JunetMohamed @SamuelAtandi @TeddyMwambire

— Gladys Wanga, CBS (@gladyswanga) March 3, 2019

The DP’s remarks on Thursday have elicited mixed reactions with a section of opposition leaders coming out to criticize his stand on the war against corruption.

Read: Sh21 Billion Dam Scandal Is A Flat Lie – DP Ruto Says

On Friday, ODM party leader Raila Odinga bashed Dr Ruto over his remarks on the Arror, Kimwarer dams scandal.

The opposition leader stated that nobody is above the law in the fight against graft.

“Nobody is above the law. If somebody is stealing money, do not go and shout there that ooh Ksh7 billion is nothing,” he said.

Also Read:DP Ruto Angered By Raila’s Remarks On Archbishop Anyolo’s Gift

Raila added, “Sh7b is not pocket change! Sio pesa ya kununua mandazi halafu wanaenda pande hii wanasema ooh sisi ni wakulima.. akitoka pale ooh mimi ni mfugaji.. yeye nikama popo.”

The comments come amid a heated debate on the DP’s aid alleged to be involved in the dam scandal.

Ken Osinde was put on the DCI radar after a company he is associated with is suspected to have played a role in the multi-billion tenders for construction of Kimwarer and Arror dams in Elgeyo Marakwet.

According to local media reports, Ken Osinde is listed as a director of Sanlam Company, which is part of the 107 whose directors have been summoned to record statements with the police.

Detectives are probing why the firm was paid Ksh47 million by allegedly broke Italian firm CMC di Ravenna – which is said to have pocketed billions of taxpayers’ cash for work not done.

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