Ruto has run out of campaign funds, now blackmailing investors – Kutuny claims
Cherangany MP Joshua Kutuny claims that Deputy President William Ruto and his allies have exhausted all their campaign resources and have started looking for other avenues to get sponsors.
Speaking to a local daily, Kutuny claimed that Ruto and his men have started looking for foreign investors to fund their campaigns with a promise of giving them favourable business deals if they clinch power in the August General Elections.
Kutuny, who is President Uhuru Kenyatta's ally, further claimed that members of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party have also been threatening to kick out investors who fail to fund their campaigns.
"They no longer have resources and have to blackmail people and lie to potential investors to fund their campaigns," Kutunya said.
Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni who also hold Kutuny's idea claimed that the UDA fraternity has been trying to blackmail and extort money from both local and foreign investors.
While referring to an incident where Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi and two foreigners were involved in a standoff at Wilson Airport on Wednesday, Kioni claimed that the investors in the incident were some of the people UDA are trying to lure to fund their campaigns.
"I believe they have conned people both locally and internationally. That is why you will see them with foreigners promising them investment opportunities," the Kieleweke-allied MP claimed.
Ruto's allies have, however, refuted the claims of them blackmailing and extorting the investors. Though they agreed to some investors are funding their campaigns, they noted that some of those investors are funding their political activities from their goodwill.
Murang'a Senator Irungu Kang'ata, Ruto's ally, noted that they in UDA do not need to blackmail the investors as claimed as their government will focus on creating an environment that is favourable to everyone.
"It is true we are talking to foreigners because we intend to be a pro-investors government. No one needs to associate with us to benefit from our administration as we aim at creating an environment that will be good for everyone," Kang'ata said.
On his side, Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua, another Ruto's ally, claimed that they have never promised anyone investment opportunities in exchange for their financial support.
"Those are mere propaganda. When did we even talk to those investors,? Gachagua asked.
The claims come at the backdrop of claims by MP Sudi that the government is trying to frustrate their efforts to get funding for their campaigns. Sudi claimed that the government fired all CSs close to DP Ruto as well as frustrated any investor who comes close to DP Ruto in a bid to block his funding.
"Any investor who came close to DP Ruto has been frustrated. This is aimed at destroying any source of our campaign funds," Sudi said.
