Shadow in Parliament as Ruto Exposes Corruption, Demands Action from Speakers
A fresh storm has hit Kenya’s political scene after President William Ruto openly accused some members of Parliament of demanding bribes to shield public officials from accountability.
The President made the bold claims on Wednesday, August 13, during the opening of the National Devolution Conference, saying that parliamentary committees were engaging in corrupt practices that undermined governance and the fight against graft.
Ruto’s remarks came in direct response to Senate Speaker Amason Kingi, who had moments earlier urged governors and their county administrations to be held responsible for how they manage public resources.
While agreeing with Kingi’s call for stricter oversight, Ruto turned the spotlight back on the Legislature, insisting that MPs and Senators must also face scrutiny.
“While I agree with the Speaker’s sentiments on holding governors and county governments accountable, the Legislature itself must also be held to the same standard,” Ruto declared. “Something is happening in our Parliament that Kenyans must not ignore.
There are cases where committees are demanding money from governors, ministers, and other officials who appear before them.
It is wrong for parliamentary committees to ask for bribes in exchange for favourable reports or to deliberately ignore wrongdoing at both national and county levels,” the President stated.
He urged the Speakers of both Houses — Moses Wetang’ula of the National Assembly and Amason Kingi of the Senate — to take urgent and decisive action against such behaviour.
According to Ruto, the fight against corruption must be an “all-of-society effort” and cannot succeed if one arm of government is protecting wrongdoing while accusing others.
The President also took aim at the Judiciary, accusing it of enabling corrupt individuals to evade justice.
He specifically criticised the use of anticipatory bail — a legal provision that allows someone to secure bail before being arrested. Ruto described the practice as a “Kenyan innovation” that has become a loophole for shielding corrupt individuals from prosecution.
“I want to urge the Judiciary not to become a safe haven for corruption. We have situations where someone accused of stealing public funds rushes to court, obtains anticipatory bail, and then uses it to block arrest and prosecution.
This frustrates our anti-graft efforts and takes the country backwards,” he said.
Ruto called for a review of how such bail is granted, warning that unless legal reforms are made, corrupt networks will continue to exploit weaknesses in the justice system.
The President’s comments echo alarming statistics from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), which recently revealed that Kenya loses approximately Ksh608 billion every year to corruption.
This staggering figure represents 7.6 per cent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), underlining the devastating impact of graft on the economy.
Ruto’s revelations have sparked fresh debate on integrity in government, with his direct challenge to Parliament and the Judiciary expected to fuel political tensions.
His call for accountability across all arms of government sets the stage for a potentially bruising confrontation between the Executive, the Legislature, and the Judiciary over the handling of corruption cases in Kenya.
Join WANTAM Official WhatsApp Channel To Stay Updated On time
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaWT5gSGufImU8R0DO30
