Kitui governor Charity Ngilu has come under fire for her remarks calling for resignation of Deputy President William Ruto over his alleged involvement in the the Ksh40 billion arms deal that saw former Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa arrested on Thursday, February 13.
While reacting to the DP’s assertions that the case was linked to him by his political nemesis to soil his name, Ngilu called on the DP to stop hoodwinking Kenyans through tweets and do the honorable thing of stepping aside and let investigations be conducted in an impartial environment.
“It’s disheartening to learn that this trust has seemingly been broken by the deputy president who has clearly breached the security of the country by engaging in a fake arms deal. This happening in an office that should be beyond reproach is certainly putting the country, the presidency to shame, ridicule and has now gone beyond acceptable limits,” she said.
The Deputy President should stop hoodwinking Kenyans through tweets and do the honorable thing, STEP ASIDE and let investigations be conducted in an impartial environment. #AnnexCrimeScene pic.twitter.com/FIeEYkqeWU
— Charity Ngilu (@mamangilu) February 16, 2020
Her remarks, however, did not augur well with a section of leaders allied to the DP including Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen who termed her sentiments as opportunistic and only meant to grant her some political mileage.
The Elgeyo Marakwet senator also alluded that Ngilu could have been advised to attack Ruto so that her prosecution file could be shelved and thus her freedom secured.
“The tragedy is that Ngilu has been advised that as long as she attacks DP Ruto then her file which is ready for prosecution will be shelved&she will remain free. You may hate it but sadly that’s a sound strategy&she will truly remain free for as long as she attacks DP&sings BBI,” Murkomen asserted.
In a show of support for Ngilu, her Machakos counterpart Alfred Mutua responded to Murkomen immediately claiming that he (Murkomen) is fond of peddling propaganda whenever someone is linked to corruption and rubbished his assertions that leaders supporting the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) are doing so to avoid graft investigations.
Senator @kipmurkomen is fond of peddling propaganda whenever someone talks of corruption in Kenya. He keeps LYING that the reason leaders support BBI is because they are under graft investigation. HOW DOES HE KNOW? We also want to know the status of his MAIZE theft GRAFT file.
— Dr. Alfred Mutua (@DrAlfredMutua) February 16, 2020
Ruto had rubbished reports linking him to the alleged Ksh 39 billion fake military equipment deal as a smear campaign designed by his political rivals.
“ODP (Office of the Deputy President)does NOT procure for any ministry/department. Question: Other than 23 minutes in Annex, for months, which government offices involved in the ‘tender’ did the scammers visit?” a seemingly angry Ruto ranted.
ODP does NOT procure for any ministry/department. Question:other than 23min in Annex,for months,which government offices involved in the ‘tender’ did the scammers visit? Did they access DOD? Who facilitated? Who did they meet? Get the truth.Forget the sponsored NONSENSE in media
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) February 16, 2020