Deputy President William Ruto has said that he owns most of the properties tabled in Parliament by Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i when he appeared before the National Administration and Security Committee.
Speaking Thursday at his official residence in Karen, Nairobi when he met a delegation from Nakuru County, Dr Ruto said that 70 per cent of what Dr Matiang’i tabled was true, disowning 30 per cent of it.
The DP, who seemed unbowed by the current happenings in the government, said Dr Matiang’i and his team had saved him the trouble of undergoing a lifestyle audit, arguing that the property listing is likely to bring to an end a topic which has dominated the local dailies for years.
“However, they added a few things which are not mine. For the 10 properties they listed, about 70 per cent are true, the other one is not true. They said that I have 10,000 acres of Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) land; I do not have that. Let them remove it from their list,” he said.
DP Ruto reacts to CS Matiang'i
“Now they have decided that it is no longer an issue of security but they have decided to help me conduct a lifestyle audit,” added the DP.
In a heated session with MPs on Wednesday that almost turned into a lifestyle audit on the DP, Dr Matiang’i mentioned 10 properties that he said are under round-the-clock state security, courtesy of their owner being Kenya’s deputy president.
The list which includes hotels, large tracts of land, farms, a gas company and private homes, has opened a can of worms whose lid Dr Ruto had tightly kept shut. He has been uncomfortable talking about his wealth since he assumed office in 2013.
The list of additional properties belonging to DP William Ruto that are getting state security, as shared by CS Fred Matiang'i in a statement to Parliament.
Photo credit: Courtesy | Ministry of Interior statement
Dr Ruto has consistently said that he started life as a chicken seller at Kambi Kuku market on the Eldoret-Malaba highway.
But in the revelation by the Interior CS, the leader of the ‘Hustler Nation’ — as the DP refers to himself — has 18,520 acres of land in three counties, five helicopters, two hangars, two hotels with a total accommodation capacity of 219 beds, three private residences, a gas company and a poultry farm which is under round-the-clock State security.
While agreeing with Dr Matiang’i’s list on Thursday, the country’s second in command also disclosed that he has 400,000 Safaricom shares and another 80,000 in Kenya Airways.
He also said his chicken business, which the CS said was being guarded by four police officers, gives him Sh1.5 million in a day.
“They should have said that there are 200,000 chickens and I sell 150,000 eggs a day earning me Sh1.5 million,” said Dr Ruto.
According to the DP, Dr Matiang’i’s list of properties owned by him removed certain installations which had been associated with him.
“Lifestyle audit had been done on me by newspapers saying that Ruto has this kind of wealth but now, those at the Office of President have decided to improve what had been done before by local dailies. They have removed certain things which were not mine like 680 Hotel because it was a lie. They have removed Hotel Boulevard — it was a lie,” he said.
While arguing that Dr Matiang’i revelation has helped him in explaining his bottom-up economic model, he said there is need for the same to be done on other leaders.
“They have tried conducting lifestyle audits, which is not bad but they should have continued with it on other leaders for things to be okay,” the DP said.
Among the DP’s properties listed by Dr Matiang’i is 976 acres of land at Murumbi farm in Transmara, 15,000 acres at Mutara farm in Laikipia and 2,536 acres at Mata farm in Taita Taveta. The Interior CS also said that the DP operates the 102-bed capacity Dophine Hotel in Shanzu, Mombasa and the 117-bed capacity Weston Hotel along Lang’ata Road in Nairobi.
Additionally the CS said the DP owns Kitengela Gas, three residences in Karen, Elgon View and Kosachei in Eldoret, plus a poultry farm in Koitalel within the same county. The DP also owns five helicopters through Kwae Island Development Limited which operates as KIDL Helicopters from its two hangers at Wilson Airport.
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