Raila is playing small-time politics, DP Ruto claims

Deputy President William Ruto has hit out at CORD leader Raila Odinga for allegedly engaging in small-time politics.

In an interview with Citizen TV’s Hussein Mohamed on special end year programme Events 2015, Ruto said the claims that Raila Odinga has made concerning the loss of Sh140 billion Eurobond proceeds are fictitious and are aimed at destabilizing the country’s economy.

He said that the government received an approval from Parliament of the things they would do with Eurobond proceeds before going ahead with the plan saying Raila should speak to CORD MPs about the matter.

“CORD had 150 MPs in parliament when the government’s plan of how Eurobond proceeds will be used was passed,” he said.

“We went to parliament with a budget showing how we will spend the Sh200 billion that we were targeting from Eurobond and the MPs gave us an approval.”

The deputy president said the ODM party leader knows that no Eurobond money adding that if he had any doubts he would have recorded a statement with the relevant investigation agencies.

“Raila refused to meet National Treasury CS Henry Rotich to discuss the matter and also refused to record a statement with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission over his Eurobond allegations while Rotich and Treasury PS Kamau Thugge have all been at the EACC over the matter.”

“If Odinga has a problem with local investigation agencies he should file his complaints with the FBI so that investigations can be carried out,” he said.

Budget gap

“Every government has had a financial gap in their budget which should be filled and while past governments have relied on local borrowing we managed to borrow from the international market last year, for the first time ever.”

The DP stated that the government had resorted to external borrowing to create space for the country’s private sector to borrow from local banks thus ensuring that interest rates do not go over the roof.

He noted that the money was diverted to the energy sector, the police and the health sector among other projects.

“No Eurobond money was lost. Treasury CS Henry Rotich disbursed the money to ministries and now it is up to them to use it in the projects that have been agreed upon.”

Ruto said the details of Eurobond proceeds are available for interrogation adding that the Constitution gives the Controller of Budget the mandate to make sure that what was included in the budget is implemented.

He defended his statement and that of President Uhuru Kenyatta that any corruption allegations must be backed with evidence saying the move is Constitutional and seeks to prevent leaders from making malicious claims.

Jubilee Party

Touching on the newly formed Jubilee Party, DP Ruto said the move by Jubilee coalition to dissolve affiliate parties and form one party had been in the pipeline for a long time and is aimed at fostering unity in the country.

He called on CORD to follow suit and dissolve their parties in order to form one political party that will unite Kenyans regardless of their region or ethnic orientation.

Ruto dispelled reports of a rift between him and President Uhuru Kenyatta saying the Jubilee government is run as one.