Economist David Ndii, who chairs President William Ruto’s Council of Economic Advisors, was Sunday night embroiled in an online war with opposition co-principal an NARC Kenya party leader Martha Karua over funds allegedly received from Dr Ruto before he became president.
It all began when Twitter user @McOsedoh chimed into activist Boniface Mwangi’s exchange with Dr Ndii over President Ruto’s recent move to lift the ban on logging, which Mwangi was criticising.
“Can’t believe Bonny and Ndii were once in a group called Linda Katiba fighting fiercely for the rule of law and constitutionalism. How Ndii joined the mutilators of the CoK2010 is still unbelievable. Power corrupts,” the user wrote, referring to the Linda Katiba movement which fought against contitutional change through the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) in 2021.
The push for change in the 2010 constitution was driven by then-president Uhuru Kenyatta and his foe-turned-ally, Raila Odinga, while Kenyatta’s then deputy, William Ruto, was in opposition.
In a rejoinder, Ndii brought in ‘revelations’, saying he founded Linda Katiba with Karua and support from Ruto.
He claimed at the time, Karua was a potential running mate for the UDA party leader in the 2022 General Election.
“Time for revelations. Linda Katiba was formed by myself and Martha with Ruto support. Martha was then prospect for WSR running mate. Made made full disclosure which is why Makau Mutua was attacking me. Even paid Boniface from WSR campaign money. Hypocrites the whole lot,” wrote Ndii.
Makau Mutua was at the time a law professor based in the US, before he returned to Kenya to assume the role of Spokespersonof Ruto’s main competitor Raila Odinga’s presidential campaign team.
But Karua dismissed the economist’s remarks as lies, saying he never disclosed to the Linda Katiba team that the movement was receiving funding from Ruto.
“@DavidNdii I am disappointed you have joined the ranks of unmitigated liars. Throughout our collaboration in Lindakatiba you never disclosed of any funding from @WilliamsRuto or anybody else,” she wrote.
According to the NARC leader, the movement’s member’s footed all expenses “until towards the end when we secured funding from a philanthropist.”
“If at all @WilliamsRuto funded you it was your own private affair,” Karua told Ndii.
Additionally, Karua denied knowledge of Mwangi being on the then deputy president’s payroll, saying “I am not aware of @bonifacemwangi being paid from @WilliamsRuto money. I recall by the time @bonifacemwangi left we were not able to refund to him out of pocket expenses let alone remunerate him.”
Karua claims Ndii only disclosed receiving funding from Ruto towards the end of the fight against constitutional change, which saw a case being lodged in court and the Supreme Court unanimously declaring the BBI unconstitutional.
“Towards the end you did disclose to me that you had received financial support from @WilliamsRuto for your case against BBI. I was not a party to the said case and you were already in court when I joined Lindakatiba,” Karua said.
She told Ndii to keep her off allegations of any financial dealings with Ruto, saying her only collaboration with the former deputy president were within opposing constitutional change.
“You cannot drag me into your money deals then with @WilliamsRuto I agreed to collaboration with @WilliamsRuto limited to opposing the constitution. Later when @WilliamsRuto through his people and later himself I made it clear that I could not work with him,” she said.
