NAIROBI: Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga's aide Herbert Ojwang' has yet again spilled the beans over what transpired in the multi-billion tender of Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH).
Thursday Ojwang' dismissed allegations that he forced his way to a meeting at Deputy President William Ruto's office where there was a meeting with Chinese businessmen.
"The DP is not being sincere with Kenyans. He knew about my involvement and went ahead to accept gifts we took to him from the Chinese," said Ojwang'.
Asked what was contained in the briefcase taken to the DP, Ojwang responded, "You know what is always kept in the briefcase'.
Ojwang’ claimed that he refused to surrender the agents agreement for the tender as demanded by Ruto and questioned why it took the DP more than two years to realize the deal was a scam.
"The DP claims that he suspended the project. No. He did this out of frustration because I refused to surrender the Agent's Agreement. Where is the letter he wrote to suspend the project? Whom did he write to?" asked Ojwang'.
He claimed that Ruto was in the picture of the project from the day one until early this year when he refused to surrender the Agents Agreement.
Ojwang' threatened to sue the DP for calling him a 'con man' instead of a whistle blower.
"I have now instructed a team of prominent lawyers to handle a libel case pitting him and the DP," said Ojwang'.
Ojwang' later provided journalists with photos of him, the DP and a Chinese man with a briefcase. Ruto had claimed Ojwang’ forced his way into that meeting.
Meanwhile, Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leaders have hit back at Deputy President William Ruto's denial over myriads of corruption allegations.
The party believes that the DP is not being sincere to Kenyans over his ownership to Weston Hotel, that he has admitted owning as a partner.
In a recent evening TV talk-show, Mr Ruto admitted partly owning the hotel but denied any links to the land adjacent that caused uproar when Lang’ata Road Primary school children were teargassed for protecting their land.
Instead, the party now wants Ruto to step aside over the corruption allegations and allow for thorough investigations into the alleged scams.
ODM Chairman John Mbadi said that the DP should not use a television talk show to convince Kenyans of his innocence over corruption allegations that have surrounded him.
"The DP needs to step aside and allow thorough investigations on the corruption allegations against him rather than assuming that he can use his appearance in a TV show to convince Kenyans," said Mbadi.
Mbadi who is also the Suba MP questioned why Ruto had initially denied ever owning the hotel, adding that there are possibilities that what he denied, he could as well admit in future.
He said that Langata road land was being grabbed by people who are either powerful or who think they are.
"He said he does not own Hotel, now he does. It is common knowledge that Langata road land was being grabbed by people who are either powerful or think they are powerful," said Mbadi.
His counterpart Dagoretti North MP Simba Arati took a swipe at the DP saying that he cannot purport to be clean yet he has in the past been taken to court and made to surrender 100 acres from a farmer immediately after post-election violence.
Arati said that it would be more honourable for the DP to resign, adding that the allegations cannot simply be taken for granted and swept under the carpet. "It would do him good if he resigned. Why is it that it is only his name that is mentioned? Corruption allegations have not started when he is a DP, they started before anybody knew he was going to be the second most senior Kenyan citizen," said Arati.
Borrowing from a Swahili proverb, 'Jungu kuu halikosi ukoko' (A pot that has been used for so long will always have something in it), Arati questioned why it is only the DP's name always features whenever issues of land pops up.
Among the scandals where Ruto's name has been mentioned involve Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret, the land grabbing case at Lang'ata Primary School in Nairobi and a case involving land on Ngong Road.
But the Deputy President has denied any involvement in all these cases.