Ruto lawyer pulls out of fraud case

Kioko Kilukumi - one of the four men whose nominations to key State jobs last Friday has sparked a controversy in the Grand Coalition government - has withdrawn from being William Ruto’s lawyer in a fraud case.
Mr Ruto the suspendet minister of Higher Education who is also in the list of six presented by the prosecutor Ocampo at the International Criminal Court as a suspect behind  the 2007-2008 post election cheos in kenya and gearing up for the presidential seat come 2012 general elections. 

Mr Kilukumi was the suspended Higher Education minister's advocate in a corruption case where together with seven others, he is accused of purporting to sell part of a forest to a parastatal.

Amongst those accused in the case are Mr Joshua Kulei, a former aide to retired president Daniel arap Moi and Sammy Mwaita, former Commissioner of Lands and currently Baringo Central MP.

Mr Ruto is accused of accepting at least Sh38.8 million from former Kenya Pipeline Company manager Hellen Njue, by pretending he would sell the oil firm land in Ngong Forest.

When the case came up for hearing on Monday, Mr Kilukumi said it would be unethical and professionally untenable for him to continue representing the suspended minister in light of President Kibaki's nomination as Director of Public Prosecutions.