DP Ruto on Kenei murder: “Drama, distortions, convenient half-truths and the smear campaigns in sponsored headlines amounts to criminal cover up”

Deputy President William Ruto has hit back at Director of Criminal Investigations boss – George Kinoti, over what he termed as drama and distortions in the ongoing probe on the murder of Sergeant Kipyegon Kenei.

Hours after the DCI confirmed Kenei was murdered, the DP asked the country’s top crime buster to bring bring those culpable to justice and shun “drama, distortions and half-truths,” in reference to the much-publicized release of surveillance footage.

The footage showed former Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa and his associates in a fake military tender racket ushered to the Harambee House Annex, Ruto’s town office, by Kenei.

On Thursday, the DCI put Ruto’s office on the spot, after it emerged Echesa, his accomplices and two foreign arms dealers spent more than one hour in Harambee House Annex, contrary to what the DP had claimed.

Ruto’s office had earlier claimed Echesa was in his office for 23 minutes only.

From the footage, released by DCI boss Kinoti, Kenei who was dressed in a black suit first received Daniel Otieno Omondi, the man who played the role of a Military General in a deal to swindle the arms dealers KSh39 billion, in which they received KSh11.5 million.

The DP toook to Twitter in response to the footage released:

Kenei’s body was discovered in his house two days after failing to report to work, at a time he was required to record a statement with detectives at the DCI Headquarters on activities of the day Echesa and the foreigners visited the DP’s office.

On Thursday, Chief of Staff at the DP’s office said he was impressed by the DCI’s efforts, “to investigate the fraudulent access to the Office of the Deputy President by crooks and cartels.”

Ken Osinde maintained that Echesa only spent 23 minutes inside the office, the rest of the time having been spent outside the complex.

He also countered claims that Ruto’s office did not report to police when Kenei went missing.

Osinde shared a letter dated February 20, in which the Head of Security at Harambee House Annex , Police Commissioner Joseph Rop, reported the matter.

Elegyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen, a close ally of the DP, has asked the DCI to stop ‘sideshows,’ and deliver justice to the Kenei family as well make the country know who the arms dealers were.

“We want justice for Kenei.We want the truth. DCI must stop coverup. Who are the 2 foreigners that accompanied Echesa? Are they mercenaries for hire? What is their mission in Kenya & DP office? Why aren’t they arrested? Who was communicating with Kenei (Safaricom data must be there),” Senator Murkomen tweeted.

Echesa, Omondi and two others are out on bond after facing charges of obtaining money by false pretense and forgery.

Other than ushering Omondi to the VIP lift, then to the boardroom, at some point, Kenei can be seen receiving a call and then handing it over to the purported military General.

“It leaves no doubt of the involvement of the deceased person in the said cartel,” the DCI said, concluding, “he was murdered in cold blood.”