Former Attorney General Justin Muturi has responded to President William Ruto's recent allegations of parliamentary bribery, accusing the Head of State of hypocrisy and empty theatrics.
In a statement released on Monday, August 25, Muturi challenged Ruto to practice what he preaches by subjecting himself and his administration to the same anti-corruption scrutiny he demands from Parliament.
“When President William Ruto walked into the public square this week and loudly accused Members of Parliament of taking bribes, one could almost mistake it for courage,” Muturi stated.
However, he dismissed the President's stance as mere posturing, arguing that the president was at the front row of those bribing the Parliament for their own needs.
"The President is the architect and beneficiary of Kenya's bribery culture in Parliament. His hands are not clean, and his accusations are nothing more than a hollow charade,” Muturi further said.
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The former Attorney General accused Ruto of abandoning his constitutional duties in favor of political manipulation, claiming that the majority is built on money, bribery, and the corruption of parliamentary independence.
"The first thing William Ruto did upon assuming power in 2022 was not to build a national consensus, strengthen the rule of law, or deliver on his campaign promises. No, his first political move was to raid the opposition benches,” Muturi alleged.
President Ruto's bribery allegations emerged during a joint parliamentary meeting on August 18, where he revealed that some lawmakers had received Ksh10 million bribes 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?" Ruto had posed. “We are not going to shame them. We are going to arrest them. Whoever is giving and whoever is being given, we will sort them out.”
However, Muturi's response echoes concerns raised by former Chief Justice David Maraga, who recently stated that President Ruto had no moral authority to lecture the Parliament on corruption.
“If the President can publicly point fingers at Parliament, 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 stated.
