Nairobi, August 20- Former Chief Justice and presidential aspirant, David Maraga has turned the spotlight on President William Ruto, demanding that he subject himself to the same anti-corruption scrutiny he has directed at Parliament.
In a strongly worded statement on Wednesday, August 20, Maraga said that while MPs are indeed riddled with corruption, the President cannot exempt himself from the same charges. He argued that Ruto’s public attack on legislators for allegedly extorting money from state officers was an “extraordinary admission,” but one that must be matched with action at the highest level of government.
“Kenyans will not accept a one-sided anti-corruption gospel that spares the pulpit while condemning the pews,” Maraga declared.
The former CJ accused Ruto of presiding over what he described as the “most diabolical bribery” in Kenya’s history the alleged payments to MPs during the ouster of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
He further cited questions surrounding billions of shillings in unexplained government spending, including KSh44.8 billion allegedly missing from eCitizen, funds wired to ghost schools, and cash fueling political empowerment programs.
Maraga laid out four specific demands to demonstrate the government’s seriousness in fighting graft:
- Budget transparency — disclose the funding sources and beneficiaries of empowerment drives and cash handouts.
- Action on mega scandals — investigate the eCitizen theft, ghost school payments, and suspicious renovation budgets, with findings made public.
- Reinstating corruption cases — revive all previously discontinued graft cases from past administrations and suspend implicated officials until cleared.
- Equal accountability — extend the anti-corruption campaign beyond Parliament to include the Executive, Judiciary, and parastatals.
His remarks came a day after the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) directed Senate Speaker Amason Kingi and National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula to summon the President to present evidence on his claims of MPs taking bribes.
In response to mounting pressure, President Ruto has since announced the creation of a Multi-Agency Team on War Against Graft (MAT), bringing together the NIS, EACC, ODPP, and DCI to spearhead investigations.
Maraga’s intervention signals a brewing political and institutional battle over who truly holds the moral authority to lead Kenya’s war on corruption.
