Kericho Governor Dr Eric Mutai has come to the defence of President William Ruto, over allegations that he forced some governors into signing the deals for procuring medical equipment (National Equipment Service Project (NESP) contracts).
“I signed the contract, and no one forced me to do so,” said Kericho Governor Dr. Eric Mutai. “I signed because I am literate, capable of reading and interpreting its terms.”
Dr. Mutai made these remarks during the distribution of 15,000 coffee seedlings in Torsogek, Kericho County.
His comments came two days after the Council of Governors (CoG) Vice Chair, Mutai Kahiga, told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that governors were kept in the dark about the contracts under NESP, including the identity of suppliers.
Dr. Mutai refuted these claims, calling them misleading and urging leaders to avoid politicizing healthcare issues. “It is very misleading to blame the President and claim the national government is forcing anyone. As governors, we must admit that we went through the deal process and understood it,” he emphasized.
Just like President Ruto, the governor said that the medical equipment deal is the best contract for “our hospitals and for the citizens of this country.”
During an event in Kilifi County, President Ruto said his detractors had hatched a plan to create a wedge between him and the county governments, so as to derail the universal health (Taifa Care) plan and other development plans.
“Anybody who says that they were forced by the national government to sign whatever contract are liars. There is nobody who forced them to sign any contract.”
He added: “You would be a fool to be forced to sign the wrong thing and then come and talk about it.”
