Stop drama, name Kenei’s killers, DP Ruto tells DCI

Deputy President William Ruto has slammed the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) for "peddling lies and engaging in a smear campaign" against his office in its investigations into the murder of Sergeant Kipyegon Kenei.

Today Ruto asked the DCI to investigate and unravel who, why and how Kenei was murdered instead of treating Kenyans to drama and sideshows with endless press statements.

“The truth must be found on why, how, and who killed Sergeant Kenei,” he tweeted on Friday.

Ruto said what the family and the Office of Deputy President and Kenyans want to see is the culprits of the heinous act held to account and not the ongoing drama, distortion, half-truths and smear campaigns in sponsored headlines.

"The family, ODP, and Kenyans want the truth and justice and culprits held to account, not the ongoing drama, distortions, convenient half-truths and the smear campaigns in sponsored headlines,” he tweeted, adding that their sideshows amounted to a criminal cover-up.

Another DP Ruto ally, blogger Dennis Itumbi urged Safaricom to name and sack one of their staff alleged to have aided Kenei killers to erase data from his phone after killing the father of one.

“DCI says one of your staff members helped some three people erase data from his phone. Who is that? Why are you still holding up this person?” Itumbi tweeted on Friday.

Detectives led by DCI boss George Kinoti have put Ruto's office at the centre of an investigation into Kenei’s murder.

Kinoti Thursday said investigators believe the role that Kenei played in the Sh39 billion sham arms procurement deal led to his execution. The sergeant’s killers feared he was about to spill the beans.

“There is no doubt that that was a cold murder well planned and executed. The motive of cold murder is very clear. It was simply to safeguard, protect, insulate and/or save the source from the adverse involvement and attendant consequences of using the country’s military procurement process in the most deceitful and fraudulent manner,” said Kinoti.

Based on CCTV footage obtained from the ODP, Kinoti said Kenei was a key witness in the investigation into the fake arms deal as he is spotted guiding into the VIP lift one of the suspects who had posed as a Kenyan military general during negotiations with the foreign arms dealers.

Kenei was on the phone as they exited the lift on the second floor of Harambee House Annex, and he handed the phone to Daniel Otieno Omondi, aka General Juma, suggesting the person on the other end of the line discussed a matter that was known to the two.