Nairobi News

Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i on Sunday clashed in public with Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot over claims that Deputy President William Ruto saved him from imminent ‘impeachment’.

According to the senator, the Deputy President once summoned him to his office and asked about the planned impeachment of the CS in regards to the Ruaraka land saga.

“… Siku hiyo nilipata simu kali sana, siku hiyo nilipigiwa na Deputy president William Ruto… akanisummon kwa office yake. Mimi kufika nikapata deputy president na huyu CS Matiangi ako hapo. Deputy President akaniambia mambo gani hiyo inaendelea? Nikamuambia hiyo ni fitina ya senator was Homa Bay na watu wa ODM…” Cheruiyot narrated.

The senator made the claims while addressing mourners during the funeral of industrialist Stephen Ongenyo at Ikonge in North Mugirango, Nyamira County.

Senator Cheruiyot was referring to a report by the Senate Public Accounts and Investment Committee chaired by Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang which had recommended that Dr Matiang’i and Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang be held accountable for the loss of Sh1.5 billion paid out to a business man for land the committee ruled was public property.

PEDDLING LIES

The report had recommended that the CS and PS be held responsible and investigated further, and if found culpable, prosecuted for occasioning the loss of Sh1.5 billion paid to businessman Francis Mburu.

The report was defeated and Cheruiyot claims that only happened after he mobilised other law makers in the National Assembly to reject the report.

But when he stood up to address the mourners, a clearly furious Dr Matiangi told off Cheruiyot for peddling lies by fabricating the story of the said meeting.

“Senator Cheruiyot, unajua mimi, I was raised by Christian parents, I don’t lie… you have lied to my people here that you called me to a meeting with the deputy president… I never sat in that kind of meeting…” Matiangi said, before switching to his vernacular Gusii language.