Four MPs come out in defense of Ruto and Waiguru over corruption claims

DP WIlliam Ruto flanked by Kirinyaga governor Ann Waiguru during a meeting with Kirinyaga county MCAs at his Karen residence office in Nairobi. [File, Standard]

Four women MPs from Central Kenya have come out to the defense of embattled Deputy President William Ruto and Kirinyaga Governor Ann Waiguru over corruption allegations.

The MPs questioned the report by one of the research firm in the country pointing to a third hand and the 2022 elections as playing part in the issue.

The MPs Jayne Kihara (Naivasha), Martha Wangare (Gilgil), Wanjiku Kibe (Gatundu North) and Jessica Mbalu (Kibwezi East) called on Kenyans to ignore the report and concentrate on development.

First to fire the salvo was Wangare who said corruption indexes are always done following a comprehensive scientific study where conclusive investigations are done.

She read ulterior motives by the company to release the findings by merely asking ordinary Kenyans who they thought was corrupt in the country.

“They should differentiate from the normal surveys they conduct and corruption because this is money lost and has affected the economy and development of this country,” she said on Thursday evening.

Kihara on her part said they rallied behind the President’s onslaught against corruption noting that the fight should not be seen as a witch hunt targeting specific individuals.

“We want to tell Waiguru to name individuals who were behind the NYS scandal she keeps threatening to name and that way she we will be absolved of any wrongdoing when she was a Cabinet Secretary”.

Mbalu who is also the vice chair of the public accounts committee in parliament said corruption cases should be investigated by professionals and those culpable brought to book.

She said the money stolen would have assisted youths and women groups start small scale businesses and called on the president to make sure the fight against graft is extended to the high echelons in the society.

The MPs were speaking during a Youth Enterprise Fund (YEF) meeting dubbed ‘huduma mashinani’ at municipal grounds in Naivasha.

During the meeting, the legislators called on Youths to form groups and borrow the loans saying there were many success stories of the fund all over the country.

Addressing the youths, YEF Chief Executive Josiah Moriasi decried the low levels of borrowing among the youth in the lake side town.

“This financial year we have received Sh820M an increase from Sh620M last year to be given to youth groups and individuals countrywide but sadly Naivasha has so far received Sh24M since inception of the fund and this trend is worrying”.