Ruto’s Death Threats to Sugar Tycoons Condemned By Azimio
Azimio la Umoja Coalition leaders have criticized President William Ruto’s tough posture against a select group of tycoons accused of manipulating the sugar industry.
During his Monday tour of Western Kenya, the Head of State stated that he would not permit cartels to operate in the industry.
Specifically, he urged them to either abandon the country, risk imprisonment or “go to heaven.”
“There are factions in that region. I’ve instructed them to depart. The organization is owned by the people, and we will optimize it. The Head of State informed a jubilant crowd in Nzoia, Bungoma County, “There is no case.”
“If they want a fight, they should leave Kenya, or I will throw them in jail, or they should go to heaven.”
However, the remarks shook some opposition leaders, who argued that they constituted a public trial.
In an early-morning interview, Senator Richard Onyonka of Kisii insisted that the accused deserved an opportunity to be heard or to stand trial.
“I would like to earnestly implore our President that his actions and words matter. “When a President stands up and speaks about an individual, that individual, regardless of whether he has broken the law or not, is put in an unfair position,” Onyonka stated on Citizen TV.
“We must vigilantly safeguard due process. If someone has broken the law, he should be subject to the legal procedure. Let the President not be the one to publicly accuse an individual, as this would amount to a pre-trial proceeding.
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Philip Etale, director of communications for the ODM, concurred with him and argued that President William Ruto’s address was not that of a head of state.
Ruto’s assassination threats to Sugar Tycoons occurred a few hours after the kidnapping and subsequent release of Rai Group Billionaire Jaswant Rai. Officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) also detained the CEO of a local bank, who was accused of aiding Rai in money laundering.
Under enigmatic circumstances, Rai was abducted on Friday and released on Sunday evening. President Ruto publicly asserted that Rai was impeding the government’s efforts to revitalize sugar enterprises in the Western regions.
He argued that privately owned sugar mills were profitable while state-owned mills were in dire financial straits. As a consequence, he canceled a Ksh117 billion debt owed by five millers but warned that he would not invest in companies that did not generate a profit.
“Do not worry, I am vigilant to ensure that everything will be fine. Regarding the revitalization of the sugar industry, the President assured citizens that no one would interfere.
“Do not worry about someone wishing to speak with us. Someone told me about Rai. What is Rai’s identity? Ruto cautioned Sunday at the Uwanja Ndege Grounds in Bungoma County, “that is not possible.”
Ruto’s Death Threats to Sugar Tycoons Condemned By Azimio
