DP Ruto's promise to fight corruption is a fallacy, Murathe says

Jubilee Party Vice Chairman David Murathe. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

Deputy President William Ruto’s commitment to fight corruption if elected President in the August 9 polls is a fallacy, Jubilee Vice Chairman David Murathe now claims.

Murathe, while speaking on Spice FM on Friday accused Ruto of using his position to frustrate the country's anti-corruption efforts.

He alleged that investigation agencies had failed to meet deadlines for prosecuting corruption cases in court because “highly-placed state officials” used their authority to stall investigations.

“Some of the cases touching on some people in government will be heard in court after the August 9 polls. If the man to be elected President in the elections is the deputy president, your guess will be as good as mine…chances of the cases proceeding are minimal,” he claimed.

Murathe also hit out at the DP’s source of funds used in his campaigns.

"Someone has been campaigning for four and a half years. Has anyone ever questioned the source of his money?" he posed, adding, "how do you sustain a full-fledged campaign in the entire country with five helicopters registered?"

He challenged Ruto to come clean and explain the source of his wealth to Kenyans.

"If the President appears helpless in the fight against corruption, what about the common man on the street who looks to him to do something about it?” Murathe said.

Ruto has in the past made public his intentions to fight corruption if he is elected president in August General Election.

He noted the major challenge facing Kenya in the war on graft is the constant interference of the Judiciary by the Executive.

"It is our commitment to operationalize the Judiciary Fund and get the Judiciary to independently undertake its responsibilities so that corruption cases do not take 10 years because the judiciary is under capacitated and does not have enough resources to hire personnel to discharge its duties," Ruto said.