Ruto Announces Plans to Arrest Some MPs
President William Ruto has 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.
Speaking on Monday during a joint parliamentary group meeting between the Kenya Kwanza Alliance and the Orange Democratic Movement party, the visibly angry Head of State read the riot act to lawmakers following reports that a majority of them, particularly at the committee level, had been demanding bribes to influence outcomes.
According to Ruto, he receives raw intelligence regularly and is reliably informed that some lawmakers have been consistently taking bribes.
“They are collecting money in the name of Parliament, and sometimes that money never gets to Parliament. Instead, it ends up in the pockets of a few individuals. We are not going to shame them; we are going to apprehend them,” Ruto said.
Ruto referenced the Anti-Money Laundering Bill passed by the House a few weeks ago, noting that cheques were used in an attempt to influence the outcome of the Bill.
The Head of State indicated that there was one of the lawmakers 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.
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”I am a consumer of raw intelligence. Do you, for example, know that a few members of the House here received up to Ksh10 million to pass the Anti-Money Laundering Bill? Do you know that? Did you get the money?” Ruto posed.
Adding that, ”There are people who are destroying the credibility of the Parliament. Some of the time, that money never gets to Parliament: it only gets to a few people.”
He expressed frustration at the growing impunity, warning that this culture of graft had to come to an end.
According to the President, the time had come for the government to decisively confront and eradicate the vice. He affirmed that no one would be spared, regardless of their political affiliation or seniority.
This is the second time that the President has brought the matter into the limelight, having made similar sentiments last week.
Speaking at the opening of the National Devolution Conference on Wednesday, August 13, Ruto blasted Parliament over asking for the bribes, asserting that the Legislature needed to be held to account.
Ruto Announces Plans to Arrest Some MPs
