Karanja Kibicho: It's shameful a junior officer like me has to defend himself against a deputy president

PS Dr. Karanja Kibicho now says that it is shameful a junior officer of his calibre now has to defend himself against a deputy president. This comes after allegations by DP William Ruto that Kibicho is involved in circulation of leaflets in Rift Valley.

Albanus Kiswili for Tv47 Digital August 05, 2022, 08:08 AM

We have not participated in authoring the leaflets - Karanja Kibicho — Interior PS Karanja Kibicho rubbishes claims of involvement in the circulation of leaflets.

In Summary

Interior PS Dr. Karanja Kibicho has downplayed claims by William Ruto that, alongside CS Fred Matiang'i, he is involved in the circulation of leaflets in Rift Valley.

Dr. Kibicho: "We have not participated in distributing or authoring those leaflets. The people who have authored them and who have connections to them are in our custody and they’re being interrogated and we shall get to the bottom of this."

Interior Principal Secretary Dr. Karanja Kibicho has downplayed William Ruto's accusations that he is involved in the circulation of leaflets warning communities in the Rift Valley region.

Ruto, the United Democratic Alliance presidential candidate, on Thursday accused top government officials led by Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i and PS Kibicho of plotting to scuttle the August 9 elections.

Ruto also alleged that the same officials are behind the leaflets circulated in his backyard of Uasin Gishu County to create disharmony among otherwise peaceful communities.

But in a rejoinder, Dr. Kibicho rubbished the claims and said that eight suspects have already been arrested over the leaflets and they are helping in investigations.

"We have not participated in distributing or authoring those leaflets. The people who have authored them and who have connections to them are in our custody and they’re being interrogated and we shall get to the bottom of this. We shall get to know the masterminds in this before long," Dr. Kibicho said while appearing on Citizen TV.

Dr. Kibicho: It is shameful

Ruto also named Rift Valley Regional Commissioner Maalim Mohamed, and the county commissioners of Trans Nzoia (Samson Ojwang), Uasin Gishu (Stephen Kihara) and Nakuru (Erastus Mbui) of being tasked with planning chaos on election day.

Dr. Kibicho was, however, bemused by these allegations, wondering how this could have been planned yet Ruto, being the deputy president, sits at the National Security Council. He said that it is shameful a junior officer of his calibre now has to defend himself against a deputy president.

"A PS shouldn't be a person of concern to the person of a deputy president but when he stoops too low to even start dragging county commissioners in his speeches, then we have lost it as a country. The Deputy President is my boss, if he places a call I’m obligated to answer; he hasn’t done that. He has instead preferred to call the media," Dr. Kibicho added.