Political temperatures are rising, not from any unlikely quarters, following the latest allegations of corruption with Deputy President William Ruto clearly reading from a different page from that of his boss.
Dr Ruto maintains no public funds have been or will be lost in the multi-billion shilling Kimwarer and Arror dams in Elgeyo Marakwet County, but President Uhuru Kenyatta maintains he wants criminal investigations to unearth how KSh21Billion has allegedly been lost as claimed by the media.
And the political fangs are all out after Elgeyo Marakwet Senator, Kipchumba Murkomen, issued a hard-hitting statement to the Senate saying the matter was being used to undermine Dr Ruto’s 2022 presidential ambitions. This has been interpreted as causing panic in Ruto’s ‘Tanga Tanga’ camp, which has recently been rattled following the March 9th 2018 handshake between President Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga.
Senator Kipchumba Murkomen hard-hitting statement over Kimwarer, Arror dams
Murkomen, also the majority leader in the Senate, said there is no justification as to why criminal investigations would be instituted over a project that is yet to take off due to operational issues, including compensation of locals who will be affected by the projects.
“One of the main reasons why the project has not fully commenced is because of the delayed process of compensation,” says Murkomen.
“Unfortunately even as we push for expedited process of project implementation the welfare of the affected population cannot be wished away. “
He alleges there is a scheme to terminate the projects for political expediency but says they would protect their people from such attempts because “all projects across republic have been delayed for the same reasons but eventually they commenced after local leaders worked with the government to address these salient issues.”
Kerio Valley Development Authority has been given KSh684Million for compensation of affected land owners through the National Land Commission. But the process has delayed due to a lack of consensus with the leadership of Elgeyo Marakwet County.
Murkomen wonders “why in our case similar approach is being castigated with attempts to attack the project itself.”
“… Some (projects) have taken 2-3 years to commence – similar or even higher amounts have been paid – yet none has attracted the kind of criticism and attack from the DCI or media like the Arror and Kimwarer projects,” laments the reelected Senator, adding “this might be a case of “giving a dog a bad
name then kill it.”
“Why has criminal investigations been commenced on a commercial contract which has its obligations spelt out in law and contract – even before the agreed timelines have lapsed (or close to lapsing),” poses Murkomen, who further questions “how […] this scandal warranting the negative attack and publicity.”
The Senator, a vocal ally of Dr Ruto, is demanding to know what rationale there would be that investigations progress is finding its way into the media if the motive was not political.
Murkomen issued the statement after Dr Ruto had insisted that the issue had been twisted and that the “money in question is KSh7Billion.”
After calling the claims of money being lost “a flat lie” during a presidential function at the Supreme Court, the DP, whose ally is reportedly involved in the Kimwarer and Arror dams project, was visibly upset insisting that the war on corruption must be “on the basis of facts and not propaganda.”
“Wale wanatuambia eti tumepoteza billioni 21 watuambie hiyo tastings wametoa wapi (Those telling us that we have lost KSh21B should tell us the source of that news),” said Ruto, adding that the same procurement and other procedures used in other dam construction projects around the country are the same applied in the two in question.
VIDEO: DP Ruto speaks against KSh21Billion dams money loss
Ruto and Murkomen were evidently reading from the script as, in his statement, the latter had listed eight other dams, including Thwake, Itare and Thika, among others; as examples of cases where 20% down payment had been made.
According to Murkomen, only 15% had been paid in respect of Kimwarer and Arror, which projects he says must continue like all others in the country.
“If there are any reasons to investigate impropriety, we urge that these should not be used as an excuse to undermine the project. We also demand equal treatment in investigation of all projects in all sectors and in all counties to be treated in a similar manner.”
The DP backed Murkomen’s assertions of “falsehoods being peddled[…] to whip public emotions and to give excuse to some cartels to terminate the project,” saying there were detractors out to “bastardize” government projects through propaganda and confusion. Ruto also defended the proposed Kenya Airways takeover of all operations at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, which has been heavily linked to President Kenyatta’s family.
“It is unfortunate that the project is being weaponised as a tool for 2022 political fights. It saddens me when I see the labeling of Kenyan citizens based on their ethnic identity as corrupt and the massive operation being mounted against one individual’s political ambitions.
“The kind of fight being mounted on this individual is causing collateral damage
not only in one region but even in the entire economy of the republic,” concludes the fiery legislator and maintains the political war against Ruto must be separated from the war on corruption.
This is the first indication that the cracks inside the government are no longer a secret and only time will tell how longer they horses by the antagonists within will hold before they bolt.
