Ruto Has No Moral Authority To Lecture Parliament on Corruption- Maraga

Former Chief Justice David Maraga has taken a swipe at President William Ruto over his allegations of bribery in Parliament.

In a statement on Wednesday, August 20, Maraga stated that the President has no moral authority to accuse MPs of graft while he himself faces corruption allegations. 

“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,” said Maraga.

The former Chief Justice said President Ruto should subject himself to the same scrutiny, noting that Kenyans will not accept what he termed a one-sided anti-corruption crusade.

“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,” he stated.

Maraga alleged that President Ruto allegedly bribed MPs in order to secure the impeachment of his former Deputy Rigathi Gachagua.

He also claimed that the Head of State bribes lawmakers whenever he wants to advance his political agenda.

“The most diabolical bribing of MPs in Kenya’s history was orchestrated by Ruto himself in order to impeach his own Deputy. Public reports from MPs themselves bear this out. The burden of proof is on the President to reject the confessions of the MPs’ first-person account of how he bribed them,” Maraga stated.

The retired Chief Justice also questioned the source of billions of shillings being distributed as “empowerment funds” in markets, schools, and churches.

According to Maraga, the funds used in the empowerment drives are not allocated in the national budget.

“Where does the “Empowerment” money come from? The President, his Deputy, Kithure Kindiki, and other allies have been on a spending spree, dishing out what they call “empowerment funds” in markets, schools, and churches. Yet nowhere in the national budget is there a clear line item allocating such billions for discretionary political giveaways,” he stated.

To redeem his image, Maraga urged President Ruto to disclose the budget line funding the empowerment drives and to order investigations into the theft of eCitizen funds, ghost schools, and unexplained renovations.

Speaking during the Kenya Kwanza-ODM Parliamentary Group meeting on Monday, August 18, President Ruto claimed 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?” Ruto posed.

Ruto also accused senators of turning oversight proceedings into a marketplace, alleging that governors seeking to defend themselves often had to pay bribes.

"I am a consumer of raw intelligence every day. In the Senate, when a governor appears for grilling or impeachment, the chambers are nicknamed soko huru. Where does one even get Ksh150 million? Isn’t that money meant for counties?" he asked.

The Head of State went on to say that the lawmakers who are allegedly involved in the bribery and whoever bribed them would be arrested and charged.

“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,” said Ruto.