By Anderson Ojwang
President William Ruto could be setting a precedent in the fight against corruption, and it could be a matter of time that several governors, his allies may be charged in court over corruption allegations.
Ruto could be preparing to use the anti-corruption crusade in the country as one of his campaign platforms during the 2027 presidential election campaign.
This can be affirmed by recent events where he accused the parliament and senate over corruptions and demand of bribes from the executives.
Similarly, Ruto also recently formed a new multiagency to the fight against corruption and economic crimes in the country.
In a recent presidential proclamation issued, Ruto said the Multi-Agency Team on War Against Corruption (MAT) will boost coordination in investigations, prosecutions, financial intelligence, and asset recovery.
The team brought together 10 state agencies, including the National Intelligence Service (NIS), Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Financial Reporting Centre (FRC), Asset Recovery Agency (ARA), Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), and the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA).
And the directive by the Director of Public Prosecution to prosecute Bomet governor Prof Hillary Barchok, a key ally of President Ruto and the first high profile leader from his community over alleged abuse of office, conflict of interest and money laundering is telling and a warning to the governors that the axe may soon fall on them.
By allowing prosecution of Barchok, Ruto is affirming his statement that the time for scared cows is over, and no phone calls will derail prosecution.
The ODPP directed that Barchok be charged with conflict of interest after he received Ksh2,750,500 from companies that traded with the county between the financial years 2019/2020 and 2024/2025.
Also to be charged together with governor is the Director of Chemasus Construction Limited, Evans Kipkoech Kori.
The Director of Public Prosecutions, Renson Ingonga, also directed that files on Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi and Marsabit Governor Mohammed Mahamud Ali be submitted to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) for further probe for corruption allegations.
Additionally, the DPP has ordered the prosecution of former Bungoma Governor Wycliff Wangamati on corruption charges.
During the Devolution conference and Kenya Kwanza and ODM Parliamentary group meeting, Ruto declared a clump down on corruption.
He claimed the legislature was breeding corruption by demanding bribes from cabinet secretaries and governors.
“I have made it absolutely clear to the chair of the Anti-corruption commission and to the CEO that there will be no sacred cows and there will be no telephone calls anywhere below or above to stop anybody from being prosecuted for matters of corruption,” he said
Ruto accused the parliament to be breeding and call for an end to the vice where the bicameral parliament have turned the house committees into money minting rings and ignoring their oversight responsibilities.
“There is something going on in our legislature that we must call out. There is money being demanded from the executives and governors, from ministers, and from people in the executives especially for those who go for accountability before our house committees in the parliament.
It cannot continue to be business as usual, it is not possible that committees of parliament demand to be bribed and paid for them to write report or to look the other way for what is happening in the national government or the county government.
Somebody who has stolen public funds and then goes to court and then gets anticipatory bail. This makes it impossible for such a person to be arrested and prosecuted,” he said.
“What is the job of chair of welfare in the committees? What is the job? Extortion and that is what is the prime minister Raila Odinga was saying. You know what is Soko uhuru. Tell me. You know Soko uhuru?
Let me ask you for example members of the parliament seated here, do you for example know that a few members of your committee collected sh 10 m so that could pass the law on anti-money laundering. Did you get the money? So going forward, there are people who are destroying credibility of parliament, and they are collecting money in the name of parliament.
And some of the time that money never gets to parliament, but it gets to a few people. We are not going to a shame them but we are going to arrest them. Do we agree?“
Soon after Ruto’s stand on corruption, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) revealed that in the past eight months, it has completed 89 cases, forwarding 82 of them to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for action.
The Chief Executive officer (CEO) Mr. Abdi Ahmed Mohamud said investigations were underway, among them cases involving five sitting and 11 former governors facing allegations of embezzlement of public funds, money laundering, and unexplained wealth.
“Four of the cases involve current and former County Governors; two former Cabinet Secretaries, a Principal Secretary and CEOs and MDs of various State Corporations.
“Over the past eight months, the Commission has completed eighty-nine (89) high-profile cases. These investigation files have been submitted to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), with recommendations to prosecute eighty-two (82) of the cases.
In addition, the Commission is at an advanced stage of investigating five sitting Governors, 11 former Governors. These investigations relate to allegations of embezzlement of public funds, conflict of interest, money laundering, and possession of unexplained wealth, among other offenses under the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act.
In the counties, the Commission is pursuing cases worth Ksh1.6 billion involving over 800 officials linked to irregular payrolls, allowances, and loan embezzlement.
This year, the commission has recovered 12 properties corruptly acquired, valued at approximately Ksh 600M and over Ksh105M in cash.
Further, it has averted the possible loss of Ksh7.2 B through proactive investigations,” he said.
