Who wants DP Ruto dead? CSs Munya, Mucheru, Sicily say not us

Three Cabinet Secretaries summoned to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters Monday morning have rubbished allegations of plotting to kill Deputy President William Ruto.

Addressing the media at the DCI offices on Kiambu Road, CSs Peter Munya (Trade), Joseph Mucheru (ICT), and Sicily Kariuki (Health) revealed that they had been summoned following a circulating letter detailing an alleged meeting at Hotel La Mada on Thika Road with the DP as the main agenda.

The CSs also revealed that, upon honoring the summons, they were informed that DP Ruto had made a phone call alleging that they – among other senior government officials – were planning to assassinate him.

They, however, termed the claims as “wild” and “unsubstantiated,” further faulting the DP for not carrying out due diligence first.

“These are very serious allegations especially coming from the person of the stature of the deputy president occupying an extremely powerful and important office in this land,” said CS Munya who spoke on behalf of the group.

“I think it is irresponsible, unfair and intended to portray us in a very bad light so that we look like criminals who meet to plot criminal activities against him. It is also intended to injure our reputation as law abiding citizens.”

The trio also stated that they were, however, unable to record statements at the DCI since there was no written complaint besides the said phone call.

“The standard procedure is that if someone makes an allegation of that nature, he is required by law to record a statement; the deputy president has not recorded any statement,” stated Munya.

The Trade CS, however, confirmed that the group had indeed had a meeting at Hotel La Mada as alleged but that the DP was never on the agenda.

The meeting was reportedly geared towards addressing grievances recently raised by leaders from Mt. Kenya saying the region had been heavily bypassed by the government in terms of development.

The leaders, according to Munya, had also complained that senior government officials as well as heads of State corporations from the region were inaccessible to them.

The former Meru County governor further stated that President Uhuru Kenyatta hence tasked him with coordinating a meeting between the leaders and government officials so as to address these grievances.

“We have made it clear that at no time have we ever met anywhere – not just in La Mada, anywhere else – to plan to kill the deputy president, or any other person for that matter,” he stated.

“But to avoid speculations, we have been having meetings, indeed we had a meeting in La Mada, and we’ll continue having meetings because under the Constitution of Kenya there is freedom of association and expression.”

The trio added that they, nevertheless, have no qualms with DP Ruto and still open to working with him to achieve government objectives.

“He (DP) has never raised these issues formally in any formal government meeting. In fact yesterday (Sunday) was the first time for us to hear these allegations from him, maybe he has raised them privately,” said Munya.

“We will continue working with the DP and we will continue working with anybody else who is working in this govt. We don’t have any issues with our work with the DP.”