President William Ruto has openly accused parliamentary committees of demanding bribes in exchange for writing favourable reports or ignoring issues when questioning members of both the national and county governments.
He made these remarks during the opening of the National Devolution Conference on Wednesday, August 13, where he strongly criticised the Legislature for what he described as unethical practices that undermine accountability.
Ruto was reacting to comments made by Senate Speaker Amason Kingi, who had earlier stressed the need for governors and county governments to be closely monitored to ensure proper management of resources. While Ruto agreed with Kingi’s point on holding governors to account, he insisted that Parliament itself must also face the same level of scrutiny.
He said that there was a disturbing trend within the legislative arm of government where money was allegedly being demanded from governors, ministers, and other officials appearing before parliamentary committees.
According to him, these bribes were being sought in order to produce favourable reports or to ignore serious issues that required attention.
The President urged the Speakers of both Houses Moses Wetang’ula of the National Assembly and Amason Kingi of the Senate to take decisive action against such practices.
He stressed that fighting corruption should not be the responsibility of one institution alone, but rather a collective effort involving all parts of society.
Ruto also directed criticism toward the Judiciary, particularly over the use of anticipatory bail, which he argued was hindering the fight against corruption.
He claimed that in Kenya, corrupt individuals often seek anticipatory bail to avoid arrest and prosecution, making it difficult for justice to take its course.
He described this legal provision as a backward step and called on the Judiciary to avoid becoming a safe haven for individuals accused of misusing public funds.
In his remarks, Ruto emphasised that those who have stolen from the public should face the full force of the law without being shielded by judicial loopholes.
He proposed that the issuance of anticipatory bail be reviewed so that it cannot be used as a tool to block corruption cases from proceeding.
The President’s comments come against the backdrop of worrying corruption statistics. A previous report by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) showed that Kenya loses approximately Ksh608 billion every year to graft, an amount that represents about 7.6 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product.
Ruto’s statements highlight a growing call for stronger measures across all arms of government to curb corruption and protect public resources.
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