Scandals that have rocked Ruto’s government
Ahead of the 2022 presidential elections, President William Ruto campaigned on a platform of eradicating corruption and, so to speak, ‘dealing with cartels’.
And upon assumption of office, the Head of State has consistently put the ‘cartels’ on notice, warning them of unspecified consequences and assuring Kenyans that taxes paid are in safe hands.
“Kenya is no longer a host to such criminals. If they must continue engaging in corruption, then they must leave the country,” the President once warned.
Despite these warnings, President Ruto’s government appears to have struggled to shake off scandals.
Here are some of the scandals that have rocked the Kenya Kwanza regime.
KEMSA scandal
The media recently called out a scandal at the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) which was later more or less confirmed by Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha, who called for a probe.
The scandal entailed a bungled malaria net procurement deal in which millions of shillings reportedly remain unaccounted for. Those affected include Ministry of Health’s Principal Secretary Josephine Mburu, KEMSA CEO Terry Ramadhani.
The edible oil scandal
The media recently reported that a number of companies were single sourced to import 125,000 metric tons of edible oil, which is against the procurement laws.
The tender was worth billions of shillings.
Trade Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has however consistently claimed their was no scandal, claiming at some point claiming that cartels in the edible oils sector are sponsoring headlines to malign his ministry.
The outspoken Kuria claimed the intervention to have Kenya National Trading Corporation (KNTC) import edible oils was arrived at in order to arrest the ballooning costs of edible oils. He then hit out at the media for ‘fake news’ and warned the government would stop advertising with the media.
Fertilizer scandal
Then there was the fertilizer scandal, in which a company awarded the tender to supply subsidized fertilizer by the government was involved in suspicious transactions that raised alarm among financial sector regulators.
Mashambani Farm Inputs Eldoret Ltd was awarded a Sh10.2 billion tender to supply fertiliser to the Kenya National Trading Corporation (KNTC), but regulators raised questions over the cash movements and documents presented to support some of the out-sized transactions. All these raised concern about the project.
Poisonous sugar
In May 2023, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) disclosed the events that led to the poisonous sugar being irregularly released for public consumption, resulting in a purge that saw 27 state officials from 11 government agencies suspended.
KRA said the sugar, which had been released to a Thika-based alcoholic beverages manufacturer Vinepack Industries Limited but could not explain how it disappeared shortly after delivery to a storage facility affiliated with Vinepack.
“The sugar consignment, comprising 20,000 bags (50kg), had been imported into the country in 2018 and condemned by Kebs for want of expiry date specification. Kebs condemned the consignment as unfit for human consumption and directed that the consignment be reshipped and destroyed at owner’s costs,” said the statement by Felix Koskei, President Ruto’s chief of staff and head of public service.
The scandal also led to the arrest of nine key suspects.
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