How Ruto is Held Hostage by Cartels - Seth Panyako After Fallout

by Steven Thuku on Wednesday, 31 May 2023 - 1:34 pm

President William Ruto with Attorney General Justin Muturi, Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetangula, National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wa, Budget and Appropriations Committee chairperson Ndindi Nyoro, and Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Felix Koskei when the President assented to the Supplementary Appropriation Bill (National Assembly Bill No. 4 of 2023).

PCS

Former deputy chairman of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Seth Panyako on Wednesday, May 31, spilled the beans on a phone call by President William Ruto that allegedly led to the resignation of LAPFUND chairperson.

In an interview on Spice FM, the Secretary-General of the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) claimed the 11-member board and its chairman were forced to pick an acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) chosen by Ruto.

He alleged that there is a cartel of six men who surround the president and micro-manage appointments in government.

United Democratic Alliance (UDA) vice chairperson Seth Panyako addressing the media on March 13, 2023.

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Seth Panyako

“We appointed an acting CEO on Thursday (May 25) but the cartels surrounding the president forced the board to overturn that appointment a day later, the day of the AGM.

“In fact, the chairman received threats and ultimately, he received a phone call from the president himself. He was very harsh. I was there when the phone call went through. I saw messages from those cartels and from the president himself,” Panyako stated.

On May 25, Lapfund’s CEO resigned because he had been recommended as the managing trustee of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) after interviews were conducted.

This meant that Lapfund had to pick an acting CEO before their Annual General Meeting scheduled for Friday, May 26.

Panyako stated the board chose Galm Jaldesa as the acting CEO. As it turned out, this rubbed some people the wrong way.

“We reversed that decision but I had my dissenting voice. Immediately after that, the chairman was now being threatened clearly.

“So he said, “I can’t hold on anymore.” Amin Deddy (the chairman) resigned,” detailed Panyako.

Panyako expressed concerns that Lapfund’s board cannot meet because they lack a CEO and a chairperson.

Additionally, he castigated UDA saying that he resigned from the office of deputy chairperson on Saturday, May 27, because the party’s actions were contrary to the campaign promises.

“We used to tell (former Prime Minister) Raila Amolo Odinga and (former President) Uhuru Kenyatta that they are doing politics of conmanship.

“This government has the highest form of conmanship. You cannot tell people that you will reduce tax then you double,” Panyako uttered angrily.