Muturi Accuses Ruto of Orchestrating Parliamentary Bribery

Former Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi has once again reignited his political rivalry with President William Ruto, accusing the Head of State of being at the center of corruption in Parliament.

According to Muturi, the same President who now condemns graft within the legislative arm of government is the one who relied heavily on bribery and inducements to secure the majority numbers Kenya Kwanza currently enjoys in Parliament.

Muturi strongly criticized Ruto’s recent public statements calling for the arrest of corrupt Members of Parliament.

He argued that the President has no moral authority to lecture anyone about integrity in Parliament, since he himself allegedly used questionable tactics to consolidate political power immediately after the 2022 elections.

The fresh war of words came after President Ruto, on Monday, August 18, openly rebuked lawmakers during a joint parliamentary group meeting that brought together members of the Kenya Kwanza Alliance and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).

In his remarks, the President claimed parliamentary committees had been turned into “open-air markets” where MPs demanded money from government officials, governors, and ministries in exchange for passing or blocking legislation.

But Muturi dismissed Ruto’s remarks as mere political drama, arguing that the President was simply playing to the gallery.

He said Ruto’s so-called war on graft was deceptive, pointing out that two years into his presidency, the Head of State had become one of the biggest beneficiaries of the same corruption practices he was condemning.

“The very first thing William Ruto did when he assumed power in 2022 was not about uniting the country, strengthening institutions, or fulfilling campaign promises. Instead, his first political strategy was to weaken the opposition,” Muturi said.

He added, “At that time, Ruto was desperate for numbers in Parliament. Rather than building consensus, he chose Kenya’s oldest and dirtiest political trick—buying loyalty.

He enticed opposition MPs and independents with lucrative committee chairmanships, direct financial incentives, and promises of state protection and patronage. That is how he suddenly converted a fragile minority government into a powerful majority.”

Muturi argued that if President Ruto was truly determined to root out corruption in Parliament, then investigations must begin from State House itself. He insisted that the allegations about bribery cannot be divorced from the very seat of power.

“The truth is simple—if you genuinely want to clean up Parliament, you cannot start by targeting MPs alone. You must begin where the rot originates, and that is at the top,” he emphasized.

Muturi further demanded that the government come clean on what exactly was offered to MPs in 2022 that led to their defection from opposition benches.

He said Kenyans deserve to know how a government that started with minority numbers in Parliament managed to secure overwhelming control in such a short time.

Interestingly, during the same parliamentary group meeting, President Ruto himself revealed shocking details about corruption inside the House.

He alleged that some MPs pocketed as much as Ksh10 million to pass the Anti-Money Laundering Bill, while others reportedly received up to Ksh150 million from county governments to block unfavorable legislation.

In an attempt to prove his seriousness, Ruto announced the formation of a multi-agency task force to spearhead the anti-graft campaign in Parliament. However, the High Court has since suspended the task force, ruling that it appeared to undermine constitutional processes and legal oversight mechanisms.

The clash between Muturi and Ruto highlights a deepening crisis of trust in Kenya’s political leadership. While the President insists he is committed to ending corruption, critics like Muturi believe his administration has perfected the same vices it now claims to fight.

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