Letter purported from Ruto office forged, says DCI

Alvin Kariuki @PeopleDailyKe

The controversy surrounding a letter purported to have been authored from the Deputy President William Ruto’s office deepened yesterday after the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI)  said it was forged.

The head of Investigations Bureau at the DCI  John Kariuki said although they are investigating the authenticity of the letter, it is believed to have been “fraudulently made without concerned authority.”

The letter dated July 3, 2019 states; “The above mentioned letter, which is already in public domain, which allegedly originated from Secretary, Budget and Policy Strategy and signed by one Justus Nyamunga; addressed to the Attorney-General for attention of F Mwachi,” the letter reads in part.

It says further: “This is to confirm that the DCI is investigating the authenticity and authenticity of the said letter, as it is believed to have been made fraudulently without concerned authority”.

The DCI revealed this as aides in Ruto’s office were engaged in a blame game with State House over the origin and genuineness of the letter.

The letter purported to have been authored by Nyamunga, a senior Treasury official, who is said to be housed in the DPP’s office, was advising the AG on how to deal with  the Division of Revenue Bill row between the National Assembly and the Senate.

State House had disowned Nyamunga’s letter, describing it as fake and not representing President Uhuru Kenyatta’s position on the matter that has generated heat between the National Assembly and Treasury on one hand, and the Senate, Governors and the Commission on Revenue Allocation on the other.

Break stalemate

In the letter, Nyamunga had advised the AG to break the stalemate between the two protagonists politically. 

“The purpose of this note is to bring this matter to your attention and request withholding of gazetting of the said Warrant Authority and to urgently initiate a political process to have the Division of Revenue Bill and County Allocation of Revenue Bill enacted into law so as to operationalise the funds…,”  the letter read in part.

Dated July 3, 2019 the letter was  addressed to the AG  and is printed on the letterhead of The Presidency, Executive Office of the President, Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service. While officials in Ruto’s office defended its  authenticity, those at State House dismissed it.

Governors and Senators insist the counties are entitled to Sh335 billion that Commission on Revenue Allocation gave them and not the Sh316 billion set aside by Parliament.

Nyamunga had advised that it would be unconstitutional for the government to withdraw funds from the Consolidated Fund to fund its operations based on the Appropriations Act that Uhuru had signed into law without the passage of the Division of Revenue Bill.

He also advised  that it would be a violation of some sections of the  Constitution if the President’s directive for the government to withdraw funds from the Consolidated Fund was followed without the Division of Revenue Bill.

The AG, through Mwachi, subsequently wrote to Treasury PS Kamau Thugge, Senate Clerk Jeremiah Nyegenye and his National Assembly counterpart Michael Sialai seeking their input on the matter.

Yesterday, sources at DCI said they were investigating to establish the motive behind the authorship of the letter with a view to taking action.