William Ruto Backs Henry Rotich After Acquittal In Kimwarer Dam Scandal: "The Case Was Fraud"

• President William Ruto claimed the previous administration deliberately sabotaged the Kimwarer and Arror dam projects
• According to Ruto, the KSh 63 billion case against former Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich was politically instigated and not pegged on facts
• The anti-corruption court recently acquitted the former CS and eight other people over a lack of evidence

Amos Khaemba, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

Nairobi - President William Ruto has spoken about the acquittal of former Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich in the Arror and Kimwarer dam scandal.

During a roundtable media interview on Sunday, December 17, Ruto said Rotich was freed because the previous administration politically instigated the case against him.

How Ruto says he saved the government billions

According to Ruto, the KSh 63 billion case was purely political, and the former CS had done nothing wrong that warranted his prosecution.

"I said on the campaign trail that the case for Kimwarer was a fraud because that case was being used politically. That is why I have told the investigative agencies I do not want them to help me with politics, I will do my politics. They should dispense justice," Ruto said.

He claimed the Jubilee Party government ensured the Kimwarer and Arror dam projects did not take off as planned by refusing to hand over the land for the dams.

According to Ruto, the Kenyan government stood to lose billions because of the government's decision to unilaterally cancel the contract with the Italian contractors.

"I have had to go and negotiate with Italy for us to settle because we were going to pay KSh 40 billion for nothing, without anything on the ground,” he said.

Why Magistrate Eunice Nyutu acquitted Rotich

As reported earlier, the anti-corruption court cleared former Treasury CS in the KSh 63 billion Arror and Kimwarer Dam corruption case.

On Thursday, December 14, Magistrate Eunice Nyutu acquitted Rotich and eight others over a lack of evidence.

In her ruling, the magistrate criticised the prosecution over how they handled the case.

"All the accused persons in this case are hereby acquitted under section 210 due to lack of evidence as a result of the reckless dereliction of duty by the prosecution," Nyutu said.

The magistrate blamed the prosecution for leading only eight out of the 49 witnesses they intended to call.

The former CS had been charged alongside Kennedy Nyakundi Nyachiro, Jackson Njau Kinyanjui, David Kipchumba Kimosop, William KiPkemboi Maina, Paul Kipkoech Serem, Francis Chepkonga Kipkech, Titus Murithi, and Geoffrey Mwangi Wahungu.