Hospital deal: Nyong'o urges Ruto to carry 'own cross'

NAIROBI, KENYA: War of words between Deputy President William Ruto and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga over Sh28b hospital deal continued on Thursday with close allies wading into the debate.

In reference to DP Ruto’s Wednesday statement that he has no apology to make over the cancellation of the hospital’s rehabilitation, Raila’s former party Secretary General Anyang' Nyong'o said he was not amused by the remarks.

“Deputy President William Ruto has no apologies to make on many issues.  He has no apology to make on having been involved in a questionable grabbing of his neighbour's land. He has no apology to make over the tear-gassing of school children in Lang'ata on a land grab issue in which his name was mentioned,” he said.

“I am therefore not surprised that he has no apology to make over the scam at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret.”

In a statement, Nyongo went ahead to state that to look for scapegoats, especially in ODM, is also typical of the DP. It is a love-hate relationship in which he always looks for Prime Minister Raila Odinga for protection; failing which he will always outsource his problems to the PM. This is both farcical and tragic.
“As for the URP leaders who are dragging my name into their Jubilee mess, let them be warned: I can sting like a bee. The isolation they currently face in Jubilee is not manufactured by the ODM: they need to remember that choices have consequences.”

Deputy President William Ruto has been linked to a controversial Sh28 billion deal to put up a new referral hospital in Eldoret, with a Nairobi businessman claiming that there is a plot to fleece taxpayers of Sh11 billion in the deal.

The businessman, Herbert Ojwang', appeared before the National Assembly Public Investments Committee (PIC) and requested the committee chaired by Eldas MP Adan Keynan to investigate the matter, which he termed as a scandal to mint money for an individual.

Ojwang' claimed he was the brains behind the idea of upgrading the current Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MRTH) in Eldoret, a plan he said was later taken away from him under the instructions of the deputy president and transformed into a scandal.