After the arrest of former Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa on Friday, February 14, various leaders continued to give their opinion on the case.
Siaya Senator who is also the Senate Minority Leader James Orengo, on Saturday, February 15 also linked Deputy President William Ruto to Echesa's accusations of trying to fleece a military equipment supply firm, Eco Advanced Technologies LLC, of Ksh40 billion.
Speaking at a funeral service in Busia County, Orengo urged Ruto to give clarity over the allegations that ex-CS Rashid Echesa brokered a multi-billion fake deal at his Harambee House Annex office.
“We demand that DP Ruto make a statement if he intends to clean his reputation and that of his office.
“The deputy president needs to tell us what he knows about Echesa’s scandal in order for us to respect the position again. There is something he knows and he needs to lay it bare for the public to know,” remarked Orengo.
Orengo also stated that the association of the deputy president and the former CS who was sacked from the Cabinet had painted his office in bad light.
He also accused Ruto of allowing his office to become a ground for orchestration of fraudulent deals by individuals in and out of the government.
“The office of the deputy president has become a crime scene in this country allowing any corrupt individual to undertake their corrupt deals in all manners.
“People are getting there dressed like army generals who work for the Kenya Defence Forces. Echesa is walking to that office like any other place despite his sacking,” added Orengo.
Further, the senator called for the necessary government bodies to continue the fight against fraud without fear or favour for anyone suspected to have indulged in shady businesses.
“I call upon Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji and Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti to continue with their good work.
“No one is above the law or below the law. We should allow the law to take its course in all corruption cases,” added Orengo.
Echesa was arrested on Thursday, February 13 and after arraignment in court the following day, the court ordered that he be detained until Monday, February 17 at 6 p.m. when he would be released on a cash bail of Ksh1 million.
The deputy president denied any involvement, terming the association with Echesa's woes as a plot by his political opponents. He then asked the DCI to go after the real fraudsters.
"The desperation of my political competitors on their choreographed smear campaign against William Samoei Ruto is evident even for fools (whom we have a shortage of) to see," Ruto posted on Twitter.
