'The End is Nigh': DP Ruto Tells David Murathe for Dragging His Name into Covid-19 Funds' Scandal

Deputy President William Ruto has hit back at Jubilee vice-chairman David Murathe for linking him to the Covid-19 funds' scandal at Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa).

Murathe in an interview with Citizen TV on Tuesday admitted that Willbroad Gatei Gachoka, one of the directors of Kilig Limited—a company at the center of the Covid-19 funds' scandal—is his personal and family friend as well as a business partner.

But Murathe denied any involvement in the lucrative contract for the supply of Covid-19 equipment awarded to Kilig Limited by Kemsa.

“We are consultants. We do a lot of consultancy services. We have consulted for various international companies. We are setting up a lot of businesses in the free and special economic zones and we also consult for construction companies in the country.”

“He (Gachoka) is my friend. He is my partner. I have known him since childhood. We are family friends since childhood. I partner with William on a lot of issues but I have not partnered with him on this one (KEMSA tender),” said Murathe.

He went on to drag the name of Ruto into the corruption scandal, saying that there were attempts to transfer ownership of Kilig to “known partners” of the Deputy President.

“William Gachoka and his partner (Zhu Jinping) had transferred the shareholding of that company to known partners of Deputy President William Ruto and when they could not come through with the financing for the importation of the equipment it reverted back to the original partners through the lawyers,” Murathe alleged.

“We have evidence. We have the transfers. If you want to find out, go KCB and find out who are the account holders of Kilig Limited. You will find out they are known partners of the Deputy President William Ruto,” he added.

Taking to Twitter on Wednesday, DP Ruto rubbished Murathe’s allegations, noting that he is being used as a scapegoat.

“The corruption “consultants”, brokers & conmen, some bankrupt in 2013, are now billionaires after looting while scapegoating William Samoei Ruto,” Ruto tweeted.

He added: “Their overgrown IMPUNITY is shamelessly making them steal even from the sick in a pandemic. The END is nigh. NOWHERE TO HIDE. NO MORE SCAPEGOATING.”