Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti’s take in the fight against corruption has irked Deputy President William Ruto, and he could not hold it anymore. According to DP Ruto, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) does not have the constitutional mandate to investigate economic crimes.
Dr Ruto argued that DCI, which is headed by Kinoti, lacks backing by law to probe economic crimes, adding that it should hand over investigations to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).
“The fight against corruption must proceed on the basis of correct information and by competent institutions that have the constitutional mandate and institutional capacity so that we can have results,” said Ruto at Kapng’etuny in Ainamoi constituency yesterday.
He added: “We will refuse and reject any attempt by people to put together a political narrative using corruption and propaganda to drive a scheme to undermine Government programmes and projects, with the aim of destroying the Big Four agenda.”
But speaking in Nairobi, Jubilee MPs – who were joined by their colleagues from ODM, Wiper and ANC – dared Ruto to quit the governing party and form his own campaign vehicle ahead of the 2022 General Election.
Maina Kamanda (Nominated), Joshua Kutuny (Cherangany), Peter Mwathi (Limuru), Paul Koinange (Kiambaa), Wambugu Ngunjiri (Nyeri), Maoka Maore (Igembe North) and Mercy Gakuya (Kasarani) said they would not allow the party to be demonised because of the actions of a few.
Mr Kamanda also accused Ruto of using his money to woo leaders from central Kenya in a bid to stoke a rebellion against President Kenyatta in his own backyard.
“If Ruto thinks that recruiting a few leaders from the central region will help him win votes in 2022, then he is wrong.The constituents are staunch supporters of the President. It is time he understood that central region vote is under the lock and key of Uhuru Kenyatta,” said Kamanda.
And as a pointer to the escalating tension between the Uhuru and Ruto camps in Jubilee, the MPs said Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen, a close ally of the DP, would be targeted for removal from his Senate seat for fighting the war on corruption.