The fear of prosecution over corruption and a hefty tax demand from the Kenya Revenue Authority has forced Garissa Township MP and leader of majority Adan Duale to start distancing himself from William Ruto.
Recently, Duale differed with Ruto over the referendum debate that has generated a lot of political heat in the country.
Duale is backing the referendum push that will introduce a parliamentary system of government to end what he described as “post-presidential election chaos”.
For the past seven years, Duale has been Ruto’s most ardent political attack dog with a venomous tongue that has kept the DP’s adversaries at bay.
It is not only Duale who is slowly abandoning Ruto but also Nairobi governor Mike Sonko, initially in Ruto’s camp who now is also playing it safe in the unfolding political matrix ahead of 2022. Before then, Duale had dismissed constitutional changes to create a unifying environment the country.
In contrast, Ruto has vowed to oppose any referendum that includes proposals to create new positions in government.
The DP sees the constitutional change as a scheme to scuttle his presidential ambitions.
In February this year during an address at Chatham House, London, Ruto also dismissed referendum calls saying they are aimed at creating positions for selfish leaders.
He instead proposed for the creation and the recognition of official opposition in parliament.
But sources say Duale is under investigations by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission over corruption at Kenya Pipeline Company and this explains why he wants to be in good books with Uhuru Kenyatta.
According to documents in our possession, Duale in November 2015 and though his son, Abdul Duale, orchestrated the removal of Florence Akoth as KPC managing director to pave way for the looting of the state body. Akoth was replaced by the acting finance director, Joe Sang, who is currently battling graft charges.
According to sources, Akoth had blocked Duale’s contracts and stopped payments to his firms which were demanding millions of shillings.
But after her removal, all the cancelled contracts were reinstated including the tender for rehabilitation of the Nairobi-Mombasa Pipeline that was awarded to Duale’s firm, Centre Star Ltd to the tune of Sh490 million.
Akoth had cancelled the contract after several issues were raised on the Shell Company as it had no experience for the job.
Under investigations also is a Sh300 million tender awarded to Duale through a Shell Company which partnered with JV of Express Automation.
All the other bidders quoted less than Sh300 million, including ZTE. The tender was marred with threats of deportation to ZTE officials from Abdul if they ever appealed.
The leader of majority has also been slapped with over Sh1.5 billion tax demand by KRA.
A firm believed to be associated with him has been awarded government tenders worth Sh2.6 billion over the last 10 years.
The firm, Concordia Building and Civil Engineering Company Limited has been mysteriously getting multibillion shillings tenders.
The company was paid Sh185 million, to partition an office belonging to the Geothermal Development Corporation.
It has won tenders with Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Authority, construction of Garissa town water supply systems and Mitubiri Landfill project.
It has business with Tanathi Water Services Board and Kenya Power in Garissa.
Sources say Duale has started distancing himself from Ruto fearing his continued association with him will see him face similar fate as Kiambu governor Ferdinand Waititu.
The governor has been charged with theft of over Sh500 million and also barred by the court from accessing his office during the duration of the trial.
Efforts to reach out to power brokers and influential government figures from Central to bail him out has hit the rocks.
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