The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has decisively addressed the swirling allegations of parliamentary bribery, stating unequivocally that it possesses no evidence to substantiate President William Ruto’s recent claims against Members of Parliament (MPs). The clarification comes amidst a heightened national discourse on corruption, sparked by the President’s public accusations.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, August 22, EACC CEO Abdi Mohamud provided a detailed update on the Commission’s ongoing investigations. While acknowledging that some MPs are indeed under scrutiny, Mohamud firmly stated that these probes are entirely unrelated to the President’s specific allegations of bribery within Parliament.
“As of now, we are not investigating any bribery within Parliament, whether in the National Assembly or the Senate,” Mohamud reiterated, directly addressing the core of the President’s claims. This statement serves as a significant counterpoint to President Ruto’s assertion on Monday, August 18, where he accused certain MPs of accepting Ksh10 million bribes to vote against a crucial anti-money laundering law. The President had posed a direct question to legislators during a joint parliamentary group meeting, asking, “Do you, for example, know that a few members of your committee collected Ksh10 million so that you don’t pass that law on anti-money laundering? Did you get the money?”.
Mohamud clarified the nature of the ongoing investigations involving MPs. “Yes, we are investigating some members of parliament, not on receiving bribes within the Parliament or to do with the committees, but we are investigating about seven constituency development fund cases that are ongoing throughout the country,” he revealed. These cases, he explained, are strictly tied to the management of the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) and do not pertain to any alleged bribery within the legislative chambers. This distinction is key, as it separates general corruption investigations from the specific allegations of legislative bribery made by the Head of State.
The EACC’s stance demonstrates its independent role in combating corruption, emphasizing that its investigations are driven by evidence rather than public pronouncements. Mohamud stressed that the Commission is not acting on the recent claims of parliamentary bribery that emerged following President Ruto’s announcement of a multi-agency team to intensify the fight against corruption and as a result shows the EACC’s commitment to due process and evidence-based investigations, a cornerstone of effective anti-corruption efforts.
Currently, the EACC is actively investigating five sitting governors and 11 former governors. These investigations encompass serious allegations such as embezzlement of public funds, conflict of interest, money laundering, and possession of unexplained assets.
