Family Poisoned by Fake Ruto Donation

UPDATE: Monday, May 25 Kiambu Governor James Nyoro revealed the 12 residents who consumed the food were rushed to Tigoni, Kiambu and Thika Level 5 Hospitals.

The William Ruto Foundation had earlier released a statement distancing itself from the donations."The Foundation only delivers relief packages through formal and known networks such as churches, Mosques and with the participation of local leaders to ensure track and trace mechanism.

"Reports from locals indicate that the strange food donations in question were hurriedly thrown from moving vehicles to unsuspecting public with fake branding, that is not from the Foundation," a statement signed by David Mugonyi, the Secretary of Communication at the Office of the Deputy President reads in part.

Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung'wa on Sunday, May 24, warned residents of a fake batch of donations branded with his name and Deputy President William Ruto's Foundation at Gikambura area.

Deputy President William Ruto (left) and Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichungwa during a past church service at PCEA Church in Mwiki on March 3, 2019
The Standard

Ichung'wa revealed that the foodstuff donations were being transported in a white Land Cruiser that traversed across Kikuyu Constituency. The donations which arrived in the area at around 6 p.m on Sunday bearly had his name and that of the Deputy President's foundation. 

The legislator noted that they were not the source of the donations adding that they did not distribute anything openly and on vehicles by the roadside or stadiums.

According to the Kikuyu MP, one family had to seek medical attention after consuming what could have been contaminated sugar.

"Please be cautious as evil people who are distributing these may poison people for politics! A family that consumed the sugar, suspect it was poisonous as two of them have been treated after consuming it.

"To the evil cabal, Shetani ashindwe! Why don’t you feed the hungry? Why poison people in the name of fighting us?" read a section of his Facebook post.

Ichung'wa added that their interventions were done through known church leaders and from an identified list of beneficiaries identified by religious and community leaders.

He urged residents of Kikuyu constituency to spread the word of fake donations and insisted that their donations would be delivered to their doorsteps.

The incident came days after Deputy President William Ruto donated food through his William Ruto Foundation in partnership with Ichung'wa to over 600 vulnerable families in Nachu Ward, Kiambu County.

Ruto noted that the 600 families were part of at least 3,600 wider households he was targeting to reach.

"We are committed to ensuring that vulnerable Kenyans are supported during this tough period of the Covid-19 crisis besides coming up with broad plans that will facilitate the country’s rapid recovery from the disease," read Ruto's statement.

The Deputy President also on Saturday, May 23, distributed goats to the Muslim community in preparation for the Idd celebrations on Sunday.

Fake donations branded William Ruto Foundation and Kimani Ichung'wa distributed at Gikambura on Sunday 24 May 2020.
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