Just a few days after Deputy President hit out at some opposition leaders for the collapse of Mumias Sugar Company, the firm’s ex-CEO has made some damning revelations, reports the Star.
The Australian CEO, Errol Johnston who quit on May 24 while on leave in his home country penned down a 3-page letter and linked Ruto to his leaving Kenya.
He addressed it to the Board Chairman Kennedy Mulwa and copied it to all senior managers at the firm.
He said his woes at the company began after a visit by the DP on May 6 where he publicly told the Board Chairman Mr. Mulwa to weed out all corrupt managers from the company.
Two days later [May 8] Mulwa while in Mumias town told cane farmers to hand in their complaints which formed the foundation of Johnston being removed as the CEO as well as other managers.
“Having been sent newspaper articles as a result of the DP’s statement, I had a very heated discussion with the chairman on Sunday night May 14. I realised that the meeting had set in motion a witch-hunt to denigrate and blame the current chiefs and myself for the crisis at MSC and asked the chairman directly were we to be removed in disgrace on instruction of the DP,” he stated in his letter as the Star reports.
The former CEO revealed government officials, including Treasury PS Kamau Thugge, frustrated efforts to revive the sugar company and even obstructed banks from negotiating with Mumias.
But Ruto in response to the accusations said that it is a story weaved by the opposition to tarnish his name.
“This is a NASA-sponsored story,” said Ruto Spokesman David Mugonyi responded.
Mulwa in his defense said that the letter was not addressed to him and that the allegations are baseless.
“He tried to bypass the board and wrote the letter to the chief officers. But his allegations are baseless. He should not drag the DP into the affairs of Mumias. The government is not the main shareholder of the company. It has done its best and we are grateful. When the money is as much as what we had been promised it is released in tranches,” retorted the Board Chairman.
Early this week, Ruto who was in Kakamega said that Raila Odinga should pay up what he owes Mumias.