Senators have demanded that the National Assembly Speaker, Moses Wetang’ula and his Senate counterpart, Amason Kingi, summon President William Ruto to provide evidence to support his remarks alleging that legislators were engaged in bribery.
The lawmakers warned that the President’s comments risk undermining the credibility of Parliament and eroding gains made under devolution.
Speaking on Tuesday during a Public Accounts Committee session chaired by Senator Moses Kajwang' and led by Senator Edwin Sifuna, the senators condemned Ruto’s sentiments, saying they amounted to casting blanket aspersions on the integrity of elected leaders.
They insisted that the Head of State must table testimonials, intelligence reports, or any other evidence in his possession to substantiate his claims. According to the senators, failure to do so would leave the reputation of Parliament and county governments in disrepute.
“Article 125 gives us the power to compel any person to appear before this committee. This includes the President, who is making claims of unethical conduct by members of Parliament,” Senator Kajwang stated.
He added, “The Speakers should summon him to come and shed more light on this matter. We cannot allow unsubstantiated allegations to go unchallenged.”
Their reaction follows President Ruto’s remarks on Monday during a Kenya Kwanza and ODM Parliamentary Group meeting in Karen, Nairobi. The visibly angry President claimed that he had credible intelligence showing that members of both Houses had been receiving bribes to influence key parliamentary decisions.
Additionally, Ruto announced that the government will apprehend and prosecute all leaders, particularly Members of Parliament and Senators, who have been soliciting and receiving bribes to perform their legislative duties.
The Head of State indicated that there was a lawmaker from the Senate who, for instance, had obtained a total of Ksh150 million to influence the outcome of a matter before the House. However, he did not disclose the name.
The senators said that by making the allegations without presenting proof, Ruto risked weakening public confidence in the legislature and distracting from ongoing oversight work.
''He should come and explain who is making and receiving those bribes. The sentiments could only be linked to a trial of Parliament in a kangaroo court. The Speakers should apply their powers and have him appear before the necessary committees to shed light on this," Kajwang' added.
They stressed that Parliament, as a key pillar of governance, could not afford to have its image tarnished by sweeping claims that remain unproven.
The senators noted that such claims, if true, should be pursued through the proper institutions, such as the Ethics and Anti-Graft Commission (EACC), Parliament, and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), rather than being aired in political gatherings.
