DCI Kinoti’s revelation leaves DP Ruto with an egg on his face

The Director of Criminal Investigation George Kinoti’s revelations surrounding the Sh 40 billion military equipment scandal has put Deputy President William Ruto in an awkward position.

This is after the DCI revealed on Thursday that the besieged former Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa, who has been put at the centre of the scandal, met with his guests at DP Ruto’s office for one hour twenty minutes and fifty-nine seconds allegedly to plan the fake deal. This revelation contradicts DP Ruto’s position that Mr Echesa was at his office for 23 minutes.

In the wake of the scandal, DP Ruto challenged DCI to name the other government officials his team had visited besides his office. He tweeted: “Other than 23 minutes in Annex, for months, which government offices involved in the ‘tender’ did the scammers visit? Did they access the Department of Defence? Who facilitated? Who did they meet? Get the truth. Forget the sponsored nonsense in the media.”

In a subsequent Tweet, DP Ruto accused political rivals of besmirching his name using the alleged scandal. “The desperation of my political competitors on their choreographed smear campaign against WsR is evident even for fools (Whom we have a shortage of) to see. Just wait and see where this will end up. Go for the fraudsters. Leave me to serve the nation,” he tweeted.

Mr Kinoti’s investigations, with CCTV footage to boot, points to the fact that DP Ruto’s office may have been aware of the details of the alleged scandal. It remains to be seen how the DP will react to the investigative arm of the government, which has contradicted his position.

The DCI also revealed that the late Kipyegon Kinei, the guard at DP’s office guard who was found dead in his house in Imara Daima, was killed by unknown people who covered their tracks to make his death look like a suicide.

Mr Kenei, who was on duty on the day Mr Echesa and his friends visited Annex house, was set to record a statement with the DCI with regards to the on goings at Annex house when he met his death.

“Forensic investigators have established that he(Kenei) was murdered in cold blood. This murder was planned, and they made it appear like suicide,” Mr Kinoti said. He went on: “We are investigating murder, not suicide.”

Mr Kinoti said that the manner in which Kenei’s body lay on the floor of his table room was inconsistent with suicide. He further revealed that the killers were well-known to him and that he had contacted a close friend seeking advice on how to record a statement the following day.