Deputy President William Ruto has maintained that the war on corruption can only succeed if the anti-graft agencies in the country stop weaponizing and politicizing the exercise.
Ruto says the anti-graft agencies have been using the war on graft to frustrate those critical to the national government. At his Karen residence here in Nairobi, Deputy President William Ruto met a section of leaders supporting his 2022 presidential bid.
“The day we avoid the weaponization and criminalization of politics or political opinion and using the criminal justice system to try and blackmail and intimidate people on matters to do with politics, that is the day we will succeed with the fight against corruption, when we stop that nonsense,” said Deputy President William Ruto.
Just a day after the Directorate of Criminal Investigations said they completed investigations into tenders involving companies associated with Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua worth billions of shillings, leaders allied to Deputy President William Ruto claim that the war on graft is targeting them to force them to dump Ruto
“The war on graft is a war to scare people and fill them with fear so that they can follow a certain political path,” said Kimani Ichungwa, Member of Parliament for Kikuyu Constituency
“But I would like to challenge DCI Kinoti. How many cases has he conclusively concluded where people have been found guilty, those he has been parading?,” said Susan Kihika, Senator for Nakuru County.
“If truly you are fighting graft, how come it happens that when you are summoned to the authorities, you are asked to tone down? You are asked to agree to certain demands in order for the allegations to be dropped,” said Aisha Jumwa, Member of Parliament for Malindi Constituency.
Last month several, several Jubilee party legislators from the Mount Kenya region, including Kiambu Women Representative Gathoni Wa Muchomba joined the UDA party associated with the DP Ruto.
Even though the anti-graft agencies have denied politicizing the war on corruption for a while now, several leaders allied to the deputy president have been in trouble with the agencies.
Eight months ago, detectives from the DCI’s Serious Crime Unit questioned Gachagua over corruption and money laundering.
But they later released him without charge. This month there are fears that several leaders will be arrested in connection to corruption
