DP William Ruto and former PM Raila Odinga differ on Eurobond billions

DP William Ruto with Tana River Governor Hussein Dado during a meeting at Garsen Grounds Saturday. [PHOTO: DPPS]

KENYA: The Eurobond is safe and the economy is on the right path, Deputy President William Ruto has said.

In a rejoinder to former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s allegations that the Eurobond loan had been misused, the Deputy President claimed that CORD lacked a solid understanding of the economy and dismissed its claims that millions of shillings raised through the bond had been lost.

Speaking yesterday at Vigurungani Trading Centre in Kinango, Kwale County, Ruto maintained that the Government had kept safe the all the money in offshore accounts and that the opposition was misleading Kenyans that the money has been lost through dubious transactions.

Raila has of late launched a scathing attack on the performance of economy and use of the Eurobond proceeds. Raila said the numbers of scams being reported indicate a regime at war with itself and its people.

“Unless something changes, Kenya is in for a slow but steady decline. Yet I doubt anything can change now. The corruption cartels in government have closed ranks seamlessly with those outside of government. The culture of stealing is so entrenched that Jubilee cannot fight it without wrecking the regime. So we are stuck with corruption and its consequences,” Raila has been reported saying.

The CORD leader pointed out that things are likely not to change because Jubilee is in denial and they are still ‘hawking figures’ and fooling the public that all is well yet the reality on the ground tells a different story.

The former Prime Minister proposed that to address this problem, everybody who has been linked to graft whether they are close to the President or Deputy President, need to step aside.

“And if it is the President or Deputy President who are abetting this corruption or stealing, our Parliament should rise to the occasion and impeach them otherwise all the gains made since 2003 will be lost,” said Raila.

He claimed that the country was heading “back to the empty coffers YK92 left us with after 1992 elections”.

But Ruto has defended the Jubilee government saying everything is going well. “The opposition has shallow understating of the country’s economy. The Jubilee government cannot misuse taxpayer’s money,” Ruto said.

Ruto, who was in the county to officially open a police station built at a cost Sh10 million, claimed the opposition has taken advantage of the prevailing situation to get political mileage from Kenyans by propagating lies.

“No penny was lost as claimed by the Opposition. It is being kept safely to be used for the intended projects. What the Opposition is telling Kenyans is just a pack of lies,” Ruto said.

The DP told the opposition to stop playing politics with serious financial issues, saying Jubilee can account for every coin.

Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya lauded the government for its good development record in the area noting that the police station would reduce insecurity in Kinango sub county.

Other leaders present at the event include, Kinango MP Gonzi Rai, Kwale County governor Salim Mvurya, Coast Parliamentary Group chairman Gideon Mung’aro, Kwale women representative Mrs Zainab Chidzuga, Msambweni MP Khatib Mwashetani, Ganze MP Peter Shehe and Kabete MP Ferdinand Waititu among others.