DP Ruto now blames ‘political detractors’ as he distances himself from Echesa’s KSh40B tender deal

Deputy President William Ruto has taken to Twitter to defend himself from being associated with the KSh40 billion tender case facing former Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa.

It is in the public domain that the former CS is a close ally of the DP’s and is one of his point men in the vote-rich Western region.

Echesa was arrested Thursday and grilled by Directorate of Criminal Investigations detectives over military equipment scam involving an American Company – Echo Advanced Technologies and arraigned Friday and is expected to spend the weekend at Muthaiga police station.

Police were ordered to conclude a search at his home by Monday after which they should release after he was granted a cash bail of KSh1 million. He was arrested alongside Daniel Otieno Omondi, Kennedy Oyoo and Clifford Okoth.

In a Tweet responding to a newspaper headline, Ruto blamed his political competitors of launching a smear-campaign by his political detractors using the sacked CS’ woes.

Echesa, who was grilled the entire day Thursday, is alleged to have used DP Ruto’s Harambee House Annexe office and Defence CS – Monica Juma’s signature, to cut the fraudulent multi-billion shilling deal.

The former CS is said to have approached the investors, through mail, introducing himself as a well-connected Kenyan politician with the networks that would secure their company the lucrative KSh40 billion tender.

He demanded that a commitment fee of KSh11.5 million be paid to a firm named as Pizzle Consultancy, which money was paid by the company, which was ‘awarded’ the tender vide a letter from principal secretary (state department of defense) dated 22 October 2019.

He is alleged to have summoned the directors of the company into the country and had a meeting at a Nairobi hotel in the presence of people dressed in military uniform, one of them introducing himself to the investors as a General who would be the user of the military equipment to be supplied to the department of Defence.

A further meeting was planned during a trip for Echesa and three others to Poland, the headquarters of the company to inspect the surveillance equipment after which it is said they agreed to pay him KSh52 million, upon the signing of the contract after allegedly approving the standards of the equipment.

On 13 February, the two investors, an Egyptian and an American were taken to Harambee House Annex expecting to sign the deal in the presence of the DP.