“Don’t come and tell us that it was not Ksh.20 billion, it is only Ksh.7 billion… Who are you tell us… How did you know?”
Those were the words Opposition leader Raila Odinga used on Wednesday, March 6 as he told off Deputy President William Ruto and his allies over their stand on the Ksh.21 billion Arror and Kimwarer dams scandal.
And on Thursday as the DP went to officially close the Devolution Conference, he had a response for Mr. Odinga’s questions, which he (Ruto) described as legitimate and important.
“Yesterday the former PM asked legitimate questions about the dams and what my interest is in the dams and why I know all the figures in these dams. It a legitimate and important question,” said Ruto.
He went ahead to state that he has “a major interest” in the dams since he is the deputy president and the dams are a key government project, hence, it is his duty to keenly follow the implementation of the government’s agenda and be privy of the details including the amounts spent.
“As deputy president I have an interest in the construction of the dams; a major interest. This is because with President Uhuru Kenyatta we put 57 dams to be constructed over the next 5 years in the manifesto of the Jubilee Party.
“It is not an accident that we are discussing the dams issue. Apart from roads and electricity, the third largest enabler of our development proposal in the Big 4 agenda is water,” said the deputy president.
He went ahead to compare Mr. Odinga’s question to “a hyena asking a herdsman why he is interested in his own herd.”
“As DP I would be reckless and have failed in my job if i don’t pay attention to numbers. The question I am being asked is like a hyena asking a herdsman ‘what is the interest in your herd and how do you know the number of the livestock your keeping.’ Honestly why would a herdsman not be intersted in the herd and number he is keeping,” said Ruto sparking laughter at the conference.
Meanwhile the DP has downplayed the political jitters stemming from his latest war words with Mr. Odinga, saying “I have absolutely no problem with the former prime minister.”
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