The leaders’ sentiments Thursday afternoon came barely hours after Ruto declared that their relationship with Odinga is purely pegged on a healthy competition and that there is no bad blood between them/CFM NEWS
NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 7 – A section of Jubilee women parliamentarians have asked former Prime Minister Raila Odinga to table evidence to relevant investigating agencies linking Deputy President William Ruto to any corruption if he has any.
The leaders led by Naivasha MP Jayne Kihara have demanded an immediate apology from Odinga who on Wednesday at the 6th Devolution Conference in Kirinyaga County sensationally claimed that Ruto was among suspected top government officials who are alleged to have played a role in the plunder and theft of the multi-billion-shillings Arror and Kimwarer dams where Sh21 billion is in question.
“President Uhuru Kenyatta has made it very clear that anyone who has any evidence against anyone linking them to corruption should report to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations. Hurling insults at the Deputy President and levelling unfounded accusations against him was purely and a total shame especially coming from a man who prides himself to be a statesman,” she said on Thursday afternoon during a media briefing at Parliament Buildings.
Odinga’s remarks in Kirinyaga that seemed to place Ruto at the centre of multibillion shillings corruption scandal was yet another reality check of how far the relationship between the two leaders had escalated into more tension and uneasiness following Odinga’s close relationship with his long-time nemesis President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Nakuru Woman Representative Liza Chelule noted Odinga was out of order to purport that Ruto’s credibility as a leader has been tainted by corruption and called for sobriety.
“Raila has no authority to insult anyone especially an elected leader who has been given a mandate by the people to govern. As women leaders we cannot allow Odinga to be a threat to the unity that is currently in the country,” she said.
Laikipia North MP Alice Sarah Korere accused the African Union High Representative for Infrastructure of trying to use the political truce that culminated between him and President Kenyatta to get into government by tarnishing the reputation of his competitors.
Korere insinuated that Odinga was acting in bad faith since he was embraced by President Kenyatta, noting that it is necessary for him to be tamed to avert unnecessary political confrontations that threaten to split the country down the middle, three years away to the next political contest.
“As women leaders in this country we cannot give one person a platform so that he can settle his political scores in the name of fighting corruption,” she said.
On the same breadth, Korere challenged Odinga to be factual in his allegations and come out clear and provide evidence to the public.
“We cannot sit pretty as women and watch men playing their cads and fooling everyone that they are fighting corruption yet in real sense all the statements are pure lies,” she said.
Kandara MP Alice Wahome registered her displeasure towards Odinga and warned that the public face off on how corruption should be fought should cease immediately or risk tearing the country apart.
“We will be available to respond to any allegation levelled against our very own democratically elected leaders with facts,” she said.
The leaders’ sentiments Thursday afternoon came barely hours after Ruto declared that their relationship with Odinga is purely pegged on a healthy competition and that there is no bad blood between them.
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