Azimio Executive Director Raphael Tuju, explained how Deputy President William Ruto was paid billions in 2013 to support President Uhuru Kenyatta’s race to State House.
While appearing on JKLive on Wednesday, July 27, Tuju disclosed that the funds were contributed by well-wishers as well as supporters of the Head of State.
He further noted that some of the monies were paid upfront while the balance was made in form of powerful Ministries that would be overseen by Ruto’s allies.
“A lot of people who supported President Uhuru went out of their way to collect these money and make Ruto come on board. For a man who says Ksh7 billion only, your guess is as good as mine but it was in the billions.
“If it is necessary for me to repeat this in a court of law I will because I know I have the evidence and it is not just me, do find out from a lot of people in our circles they will tell you that there was no way Ruto was going to give anything for free,” he explained.
He further accused the DP of attempting to pull the same stunt while he was a member of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party headed by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
The relationship between the Head of State and his deputy was extremely strained to a point that, according to Tuju, Uhuru opted to form an alliance with Raila – who had been his political foe through the handshake.
“These are demands of payments which he did not only make on TNA that time but also made them on ODM previously.
“It was better several times over to work with an honest Raila who would be ready to work with him without demanding anything in Government, support him in Parliament instead of a Ruto who, at every corner, blackmailed the President,” he added.
He explained that the payment was made so that the DP could throw his weight behind Uhuru who was seeking to become the country’s fourth President.
In his earlier statement, Tuju maintained that the DP demanded to be given certain ministries if they won the election, adding that Ruto sees politics as a business contrary to the picture he paints in public.
The Secretary-General also explained that blackmailing was a widespread practice in the industry and accused one leader from Western Kenya of demanding Ksh9 billion from the former Prime Minister.
