By Anderson Ojwang
In one of the fiercest and firm open barbs on President William Ruto by former Attorney General Justin Muturi has opened the can of worms about the dealings and rot in the current regime.
Muturi went ahead to claim Ruto was not fit to be the president of the country, and it is unfortunate he is at the helm.
In another hard hitting bombshell during NTV Break fast Show Fixing the Nation, Muturi alleged of the rot and run away corruption in the Ruto government.
He went ahead to claim that President Ruto was running a terrified and timid cabinet that cannot stand up to be counted.
“ My mind is made about Ruto. I have heard enough of it. William Ruto is a person with two personalities.. The William Ruto that presents himself to the public is completely different character from the one that sits behind in the office and crafts stuff.
I think that kind of person is a dangerous character. I think William Ruto is unfit for the position of President of Kenya.
I have come to that conclusion and I have nothing and no bitterness but my personal assessment. When I watch Wiliam Ruto sometimes talking to members of cabinet saying I do not want to see corruption in my government. then I start wondering, who is this talking? I think , I have so many examples. He is absolutely , very and irredeemably corrupt .
I don’t want to give you the obvious ones, the Adani’s because I have some background. He is the one who was clearly behind it and I know this because. When his advisor Mr. Adan Mohammed, invited me to attend the COP 28 in Dubai in 2023, he gave me a lot of information that ended up with the Adani deals. Specifically, the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. During that same time, a Russian oligarch who had offered to invest $1 billion in Kema. It came from Adan Mohammed, who claimed it was an NGO.
On the day, we were coming from India after COP28, we didn’t come back but went to India. I saw the guy next to Ruto, he told me, you know that plane of the President is not good. I have chartered a direct one. Immediately, I landed in Dubai, Ruto was calling and told me that those Russians, they are in Dubai, they are waiting for me sign documents.
I am on transit, I am not even leaving the Airport. He told me your people have worked on the documents. But I objected, No, I need to go and review it in the office.
In the deal, they were purporting to give a grant of $ 1 billion to grow the alleged 15 billion tree program
For William Ruto, when he comes with any program, it is for money making. They brought me MOU but I told them , this is wrong, we can only receive the $1 billion only be by away of grant.
It cannot come directly to the ministry, it can only go through from National Treasury but they were trying to avoid that.
I am being told to sign documents at the Airport and it is William Ruto who is calling me directly.
It is an unfortunate situation for the country that William Ruto is the President, sitting in the office.
The cabinet memo brought to me at Kakamega State Lodge by former Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha sign, I declined.
I asked her what is this.? She told me CS Treasury had signed and it was only me who was remaining.
I told her it doesn’t matter and she ran to report me to the President, who was with his deputy Rigathi Gachagua.
They called me about the matter, but I told them we cannot do cabinet memos that way.
Even the Cabinet Secretary, Attorney General, cannot do it that way, but the office.
There are departments manadated to check through and consultation on the various issues in order to come with sound legal advice.
I told them, I cannot sign but the president pleaded with me saying, you know we promised people universal health coverage.
I sympathized, but I told him that this procedure was not right. The law requires that the bill must be forwarded to me as Attorney General to review it with clear drafting instructions and what it intends to achieve.
I never took part in the drafting of the health bill, it never came to the office of the Attorney General.“
President Ruto accused Muturi of incompetence in his duty as the Attorney General and was unable to deliver. He said Muturi also went on strike by not attending cabinet meetings
But in his response Muturi said he had declined the post of Attorney General but Ruto insisted despite him turning down his offer and sending speaker of the House Moses Wetangula to plead for him.
“Fortunately, he referred to incompetence to the Attorney General. I believe the president’s attention is to divert me from issues of abduction and extrajudicial killing.
The record is there to speak. I made the state law independent. Brought an amendment that was passed by the parliament. On the day we launched 24th supplement last year, which was last launched in 1999. Ruto was commending me with praise. I will not keep defending myself.
I introduced a rule that MOU with not be used as basis on entering into contract. This had cost the government to lose billions of shillings and to face several litigations.
Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) must be brought to the Attorney General Office. It became a thorn in many of my colleagues who did not want that.
Around April, when I was Attorney General, William Ruto knew, in January 2020, I sought the intervention of the religious sector to reconcile then President Uhuru Kenyatta and Ruto. It was getting bad.
Even when Ruto and his deputy Rigathi Gachagua had problem somewhere in April last year, I had tea with him, I told him, I see something happening between you and your deputy. It is affecting how we operate,” he said.
Politics is a matter of interest. Between Ruto and uhuru, I used to run to find out the problem and reconcile.
Ruto as DP came to see me and asked me to join him. He came to my party office, we discussed. Held discussion with uhuru, in had to weigh which side to support. I don’t think whether if it your son , you will not speak out ? speak and defend to the hilt. It touched me. It had to begin somewhere.
