President William Ruto has announced that Members of Parliament (MPs) involved in soliciting and receiving bribes will be arrested.
Speaking on Monday, August 18, during a joint parliamentary group meeting between the Kenya Kwanza Alliance and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party, the President revealed that some lawmakers received a Ksh10 million bribe to pass the Anti Money Laundering Bill.
“Did you know that a few members of parliament collected Ksh10 million so that you could pass the Anti-Money laundering bill. Did you get the money?” he posed.
Ruto said the MPs collecting bribes to perform their legislative duties are destroying the credibility of Parliament.
The Head of State said the MPs involved in the bribery and whoever bribed them would be arrested and charged.
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“There are people who are destroying the credibility of parliament. They are collecting money in the name of Parliament. And most of the time, that money never gets to parliament, it gets to a few people,” said Ruto.
He added, “We are not going to shame them. We are going to arrest them. Whoever is giving and whoever is being given, we are going to sort them out.”
This comes days after President Ruto accused MPs of turning house committees into money-minting rings.
Speaking during the Devolution Conference in Homa Bay County last week, the President claimed that MPs were demanding bribes from cabinet secretaries and governors.
“There is something going on in our Legislature that we must call out. There is money being demanded from the Executive, from Governors and Ministers, especially those who go for accountability before our Houses of Parliament,” President Ruto stated.
Ruto asked National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula to address the issue in the committees.
“It cannot continue as business as usual. Committees of Parliament should not demand payments for report writing or overlook matters within county or national government,” he added.
