As the Jubilee government grapples with the unending scandals involving loss of billions of taxpayer’s money in the runaway corruption that is rocking the UhuRuto administration, deputy president William Ruto has claimed that no such money has been lost.
Speaking in Sirisia at Mayuba stadium during a funds drive in aid of women groups from Sirisia constituency, Ruto accused the opposition and the media for propagating lies and propaganda over loss of funds in the government arguing that if at all the funds were lost, then how would it have been possible for the same government to implement the development projects being launched and implemented all over the country.
“The people we are competing with have realized that we have outwitted them in all aspects of development and that is why they are now engaging in fanning propaganda and lies through the media that such and such money has been lost in the government but I want to ask you people of Sirisia, if at all the money they allege to have been lost was indeed lost then how would we be doing all these development such as water projects, roads, having people connected to electricity among many other projects,” asked Ruto.
He said that some of the opposition leaders were in the grand coalition government but did not deliver such projects hence wondered where such money went to under their watch and are busy questioning Jubilee government as it implements projects.
“I want you people of Sirisia to help me ask those we are competing with because we want to know where was this money that we are using to pay for free maternity for our mothers, the money we are paying for the exams for our children and the money we are using to implement water projects and other projects during their tenure in government only to start raising such claims that money has been lost,” added Ruto.
He challenged the opposition leaders to come out clear and explain to Kenyans where such money that is being used to implement multi-billion projects was during their time in government claiming that they used to share the money with cartels and brokers at the expense of implementing projects for Kenyans.
“If they think I am telling lies then I challenge them to tell us where all this money was during their time in government. Whom were they eating with or where did they take the money,” the DP said.
“I want to tell you here that the noise you are hearing from the people we are competing with is because we have sealed all the loopholes they used to exploit to steal money in conjunction with brokers and cartels hence they have realized that we have dismantled their business deals and are now making a lot of noise spreading propaganda,” Ruto pointed out.
Ruto who spoke in the wake of ongoing investigations into the reported loss of funds in the ministry of health amounting to Kshs 5.5 billion and the controversial Kshs 1.6 billion lost in the National Youth Service that saw former devolution cabinet secretary Anne Waiguru forced to resign from the lucrative position in government.
The DP has also been quoted in some forums admitting that there might be some money lost and called for action to be taken against those mentioned in such scandals hence his current position contradicts his earlier statements.
At the Sirisia function, he was accompanied by leaders from Bungoma and Kakamega counties allied to the ruling Jubilee government led by Bungoma governor Ken Lusaka, area MP Major John Koyi Waluke who defected from the Orange Democratic Movement – ODM to the newly formed Jubilee party and Bumula MP Bornface Otsyula.
Others included Mumias East MP Benjamin Washiali, Lunga Lunga MP Khatib Mwashetani among others who affirmed their intention to work with the ruling Jubilee coalition and support the newly formed Jubilee party on which President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto are set to vie for their second five-year term in office in the August 2017 general elections.
Waluke in his speech challenged the opposition leaders in what was seen as targeting Ford Kenya leader and Bungoma senator Moses Wetangula and Raila Odinga of ODM asking them to come clear on the previous scandals that they were linked to.
“Recently others were accusing the Jubilee government that it is full of thieves then I started asking these questions wanting to know where the person who sold the Kenyan Embassy in Tokyo Japan came from, where did the person who sold the Kenyan Embassy land in Nigeria come from, the person who sold the Grand Regency Hotel and the person who sold Migingo where did they come from? And that is why we are here to fully support the Jubilee government with all our hearts,” said Waluke amid cheers.
During the funds drive deputy president Ruto gave his donation of Kshs 2 million with one million from President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Other donations came from governor Lusaka Kshs 100,000, MP Waluke Kshs 100,000 with Kshs 50,000 sent from Water CS Eugene Wamalwa as the other MPs present donated Kshs 20,000 each among other contributors.