When President William Ruto stood before the country and accused MPs of demanding money from governors, ministers and other state officers appearing before them, he cracked open a door that those in power usually keep firmly shut.
It was an extraordinary admission. But it cannot stand alone. If the President can publicly point fingers at Parliament, then he must also open himself to same scrutiny. Kenyans will not accept a one-sided anti-corruption gospel that spares the pulpit while condemning the pews. And that scrutiny must start with his own finances, his record and conduct of those closest to him.
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Where does the “empowerment” money come from? The President, his Deputy, Kithure Kindiki, and other allies have been on a spending spree, dishing out “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.
Where is this money coming from? Under what law is it being spent? Who authorises it, and who accounts for it? Transparency demands answers. Public funds do not belong to politicians to distribute at will for political gain.
The questions do not end there. What about the Sh44.8 billion reportedly stolen from the e-Citizen platform? Or the millions of shillings wired to ghost schools that do not exist on the ground? Or the billions swallowed in “renovations” of government offices and state house facilities? These are not mere accounting errors. They are large-scale thefts of public resources. And they are happening under this administration’s watch.
President Ruto has no moral authority to lecture Parliament on corruption while sidestepping these scandals. Kenyans deserve a full accounting of where their money has gone and who has pocketed it. The gravity of the problem is not just local. Recently, President Ruto was ranked as the second most corrupt president in the world by international assessments. While he may dismiss this as political propaganda, it reflects a global perception problem. Kenya’s image and his own is increasingly synonymous with grand corruption.
When Ruto took office, he moved swiftly to halt high-profile corruption cases initiated during Uhuru Kenyatta’s presidency. Individuals once charged with looting billions were not only freed from prosecution. Many were rewarded with reappointments to government, in some cases, to the very departments from which they had been removed for theft. How can a president who reinstates the accused now claim to be the champion of accountability? He cannot choose which rot to expose. It is commendable that the president has called out MPs for extortion. But partial honesty is not leadership. You cannot choose to expose corruption only in the Legislature while shielding it in the Executive. You cannot point at Parliament’s rot while ignoring the stench in State House. Real leadership means submitting yourself to the same rules you expect others to follow. It means inviting investigation into your own dealings, your own Cabinet, and your own financial backers. Anything less is hypocrisy dressed up as reform. If Ruto is serious, here is the bare minimum:
Full public wealth disclosure: Release his wealth declaration, complete with acquisition timelines and supporting documentation, and subject it to independent audit.
Budget transparency: Identify the budget line funding the so-called “empowerment” cash handouts and provide a full accounting of expenditure and beneficiaries.
Action on mega scandals: Order investigations into the e-Citizen theft, ghost school payments, and billions in unexplained renovations, with results made public.
Reinstate corruption cases: Reverse the discontinuation of graft cases from the Uhuru era and remove from office all individuals previously implicated until cleared by the courts.
Equal accountability across government: Extend the same anti-corruption drive to the Executive, Judiciary, and parastatals, not just Parliament.
By naming Parliament’s vices, Ruto has opened a door. If he stops there, Kenyans will know this was just another political distraction.
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By Gitobu Imanyara