A section of Kenyans has criticized Deputy President William Ruto over his remarks following the arrest and detention of Turkish national Aydin Harun.
The businessman, a close associate of the country’s second in command, was arrested shortly after arriving at the Wilson Airport on Saturday from a recent trip to Uganda.
According to police sources, Harun is being questioned over suspected terror links.
The DP had yesterday claimed that Harun was a victim of bad politics and not a terrorist.
He alluded that the businessman, who has a valid Kenyan work permit, was being frustrated by top government officials over links with him.
“Turkish investor, Aydin Harun, is a victim of top-down arrogance bred by patronage & cartels that criminalise enterprise. Importers’ goods declared contraband, Africa spirits closed, Keroche harassed, now investor with valid papers labelled terrorist. Tragedy of political pettiness,” Ruto tweeted on Saturday evening.
Turkish investor,Aydin Harun, is a victim of top-down arrogance bred by patronage & cartels that criminalise enterprise.Importers' goods declared contraband,Africa spirits closed, keroche harassed, now investor with valid papers labelled terrorist.Tragedy of political pettiness. pic.twitter.com/PSXdGcFXlK
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) August 7, 2021
Harun was among businessmen and politicians who were scheduled to travel with Ruto in an aborted private trip to Uganda last Monday.
Read: Turkey Breaks Silence On Ruto Ally Harun Aydin
Harun and the rest of the delegation that included MPs Oscar Sudi (Kapseret), Ndindi Nyoro (Kiharu) and Benjamin Tayari (Kinango) were allowed to travel while Ruto was blocked by immigration officials over ‘clearance issues’.
Others in the entourage were Mombasa-based businessman David Lang’at, Elijah Rono and Eric Ruto.
The DP, who was scheduled to meet Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, said the incident was meant to belittle him as he prepares to contest for the presidency in 2022.
But it’s his latest reaction that has irked a section of Kenyans online.
Read Also: Terror Suspect in DP William Ruto’s Uganda Entourage Raises Red Flags
The netizens are now questioning why the DP is determined to defend Harun despite the ‘intelligence’ on the businessman by the state.
“Being an investor is no licence to engage in criminal activities. If you guaranteed your friend through one phone call to get 15b to invest in Uganda,Why can’t he stay in UG where he invested? What about the SGR friend of yours in the manifest? Is another SGR coming up in UG?” posed Stephen Ayugi.
Some questioned why the DP was silent when Keroche Breweries directors were being harassed by the state.
“Keroche harassment started long time ago, you’ve never talked about it. Now that you are looking for sympathy, you find it a story to suite your narrative. Boss we know your colours. The govt maybe a mess, but you are definitely not the soln since you are part of the mess,” said Abdi Said said.
Read Also: ODM MPs Warn Against a Ruto Presidency over Ties with Museveni’s NRM
“How come you never tweeted or defended Keroche or Humphrey Kariuki of African spirits, legitimate Kenyan investors, hawa mamruki hata hatujui wameivest wapi. So hypocritical, just pushing self-interest,” another netizen opined.
Others, however, opined that Harun’s arrest was a way of the state justifying why Ruto was barred from leaving the country.
“A desperate attempt by the DARK system to immorally use the turkish investor to try to justify the illegal act of denying Dp Ruto from traveling to Uganda..Blunder after Blunder after Blunder,” said Victor Munyaka.
Here are more reactions online.
His phone numbers are registered with different persons mukubwaa…did you notice that pic.twitter.com/D29jL1HocS
— Mary akatha (@mary_akatha) August 7, 2021
https://twitter.com/NyangenaJustin/status/1424043080466972681?s=20
What we don't understand is, if he is an investor, why didn't you advise him to invest in Kenya but you even assisted him to get a loan to invest in UG? Is that the bottom-up system?
— cD4 (@ferd_mogundez) August 7, 2021
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