#WhatRutoShouldSteal: Kenyans React To Deputy President’s Link To $293.6m Graft

One Nairobi-based businessman, Herbert Ojwang has linked Kenya’s Deputy President, William Ruto to an alleged plan to steal Ksh. 28 billion ($293.6 million) from the Kenyan tax payers. According to a report Ojwang made to the National Assembly Public Investments Committee (PIC), the alleged graft comes by through the inflating of the cost of putting up a new referral hospital in Eldoret.

The businessman claims the plan to upgrade the current Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MRTH) was his brain-child. But he was later coerced into abandoning the stewardship of the project. Ojwang further says that the original cost of the project was estimated to be Ksh. 17 billion ($178,242,450) but has drastically been increased to Ksh. 28 billion ($293,575,800)

As cited by StandardMedia.co.ke, Ojwang says, “The agreement with whoever will win the Expression of Interest for construction of the new facility, which has since been advertised, is that the project will cost Sh. 17 billion. The balance from the Sh. 28 billion will go to someone, but I do not know who it is.

I was told that the DP is against me being on the forefront of the whole deal. I asked the reason behind that and was told it is due to the close links with Raila.

Later on, another meeting was called, and I was told that the DP had given instructions that I surrender the agreement document signed between me and the Chinese companies to Ruto’s aide, Caleb Kositany.”

Well, the whistleblower has elicited a lot of reaction from Kenyans, who have taken to social media. Under the #WhatRutoShouldSteal, the following are some of the tweets being made with regards to this scandal.

Lol. #WhatRutoShouldSteal is trending? Lol. That guy can’t catch a break, huh?

— Brian K. (@Yenyewe) May 8, 2015

Woken up to the sad news that our resident Kleptomaniac is at it again #WhatRutoShouldSteal pic.twitter.com/d8eLzChVem

— Muthui Mkenya (@MuthuiMkenya) May 8, 2015

#WhatRutoShouldSteal how to catch Ruto @SamWestKe @SammieKeige pic.twitter.com/xoIkH2I0pF

— Alex Blogger (@Moseax) May 8, 2015

After all these adverse mentions against DP Ruto- one cannot fathom whether his consciousness as a leader is sincere. #WhatRutoShouldSteal

— Kioko Joseph (@Joe_Kioko) May 8, 2015

#WhatRutoShouldSteal is bensouda’s Heart so they get married get the case dropped pic.twitter.com/VXcscBK85x

— Eugene (@eugeneOduma90) May 8, 2015

If he is not crying he is stealing..#WhatRutoShouldSteal, his own tears

— Kanali Nixon (@NicKanali) May 8, 2015

One thing I like abt Ruto is he is human. He steals Billions and is at the ICC but most importantly he CRIES relevantly #WhatRutoShouldSteal

— MC Pipita (@mcpipita) May 8, 2015

#WhatRutoShouldSteal The whole police unit serving Chinese and not Kenyans @C_NyaKundiH pic.twitter.com/QKqrgGe2vl

— Leon Khalwale JNR ™ (@LeonLidigu) May 8, 2015

Now we know why Ruto is diverting our attention to the gay debate. #WhatRutoShouldSteal @C_NyaKundiH @ItsMutai @IkeOjuok @LeonLidigu

— Boni Khalwale (@BoniMtetezi) May 8, 2015

You can read more on this at StandardMedia.co.ke

[Updated Later]

Almost as soon as this post went live, the #WhatRutoShouldSteal was watered down from the top 10 trending hashtags in Kenya and replaced by #RutoIsClean as #1 hashtag. Begging the question, has #RutoIsClean risen organically to become the #1 trending hashtag in Kenya, or is it the work of Internet Warriors?

The term internet warriors was coined in Nigeria just months before the Nigerian Presidential Election that saw the Incumbent President Jonathan Goodluck, voted out of office. You be the judge as the clash of the hashtags (#WhatRutoShouldSteal v/s #RutoIsClean) continues on Twitter.