Why Ruto Can’t Lecture Parliament on Corruption – Maraga

A collage of President William Ruto (left) and former Chief Justice (Rtd) David Maraga (right) File

Former Chief Justice David Maraga has launched a scathing attack on President William Ruto, arguing that the Head of State has no moral authority to lecture Parliament on corruption while his own administration faces massive graft scandals.

In a statement released on Wednesday under his 2027 presidential campaign banner, Maraga said Ruto’s Monday accusations against MPs for demanding bribes from governors and ministers was “an extraordinary admission,” but one that exposed the President’s own hypocrisy.

“If the President can publicly point fingers at Parliament, then he must also open himself to the same scrutiny. Kenyans will not accept a one-sided anti-corruption gospel that spares the pulpit while condemning the pews,” Maraga said.

On Monday, during a joint UDA–ODM Parliamentary Group meeting in Nairobi, President Ruto accused legislators of turning Parliament into a marketplace, citing claims that governors facing impeachment were asked to part with KSh150 million and that MPs demanded KSh10 million to pass critical bills.

Ruto’s remarks at Monday’s joint UDA–ODM parliamentary group (PG) meeting were dramatic:

President Ruto addressing ODM-Kenya Kwanza MPS on August 18th.

“Corruption is bleeding our nation dry, and Parliament cannot be the marketplace where this vice thrives. We must draw the line. Kenyans will not forgive leaders who turn their offices into auction houses.”

Maraga, seizing on the uproar, accused Ruto himself of orchestrating the “most diabolical bribing of MPs” in Kenya’s history to force the impeachment of his then-Deputy, Rigathi Gachagua.

“Kenya’s President bribes Parliament when he needs to use them as a pitchfork for his dark maneuvers, then insults and dismisses the same MPs when he has no use for them. In the mythos of grand political bribes and betrayals, Brutus has nothing on Ruto,” Maraga charged.

The former CJ further demanded accountability over billions of shillings in alleged government scandals, including the reported KSh44.8 billion theft from the eCitizen platform, ghost school payments, and unexplained renovations of State House facilities.

He outlined a four-point plan to restore credibility in the fight against graft: budget transparency, action on mega scandals, reinstatement of graft cases from the Uhuru era, and equal accountability across the Executive, Judiciary, and Parliament.

“President Ruto has no moral authority to lecture Parliament on corruption while sidestepping these scandals. The Kenyan people deserve a full accounting of where their money has gone and who has pocketed it,” Maraga said.

On Tuesday, MPs expressed anger and embarrassment at the President’s claims. Kieni MP Njoroge Wainaina said the allegations had strained their reputations even at home.

“When I went home last night, my wife wanted to check my pockets to see if I had illegal cash. We have lost properties, reputations, and credibility… business partners now look at us as if we carry corruption into their offices.”

Kilifi South MP Ken Chonga echoed the sentiment, saying the President’s sweeping statements had cast lawmakers as villains in the public eye.

“My wife asked me, ‘Where is this poverty you’re claiming when you’re carrying billions? Do you have another wife or where are you keeping all this money?’… We request the President to apologize.”

In the wake of the controversy, President Ruto announced the formation of an 11-member Multi-Agency Taskforce on the War Against Corruption (MAT).

The team, domiciled in the State Department of Justice, is chaired by the Executive Office of the President with the Attorney-General’s Office as secretariat.

It brings together the National Intelligence Service (NIS), Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Financial Reporting Centre (FRC), Asset Recovery Agency (ARA), Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), and the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA).

The taskforce is mandated to coordinate inter-agency operations, strengthen investigations and prosecutions, recover stolen assets, and work with international partners to trace illicit funds.

Meanwhile, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) officially confirmed it has launched investigations into various legislators following the bribery allegations. Chairperson David Oginde stated:

“We are actually doing active investigations on a number of individuals, and you’ll soon see the consequences across various levels of the leadership system.”