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Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has demanded that President William Ruto come clean and publicly identify Members of Parliament allegedly extorting money from Cabinet Secretaries and County Governors.
Speaking during the Law Society of Kenya’s Annual Conference in Diani on Friday, Sifuna argued that the serious allegations made by the Head of State require concrete evidence and specific names, rather than general statements.
His remarks follow President Ruto’s warning during the Devolution Conference held in Homa Bay that certain parliamentary committees had turned oversight duties into cash-hunting ventures, allegedly demanding bribes in order to write favourable reports or ignore accountability issues.
“There is something happening in Parliament that must be called out,” the President stated earlier in the week. “It cannot be that committees of Parliament demand to be paid to carry out their oversight functions.”
In response, the Nairobi Senator insisted that such accusations should not be left hanging without clarification.
“The President must tell the country who these MPs are,” Sifuna said. “You cannot go to a national function and make such weighty accusations against Parliament without naming the people involved. We need to know who is soliciting money.”
Citing his own record, Sifuna noted that he has never sought inducements to take a principled stand. He referenced his public opposition to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, explaining that he did not need to be paid to act on an issue in which he already believed.
“Are you telling me I should have asked for money to do what I was already ready to do?” he posed.
The Senator also weighed in on the emerging online slogan “Wantam” (One-Term), which has been used by some sections of the public to signal their intention not to support President Ruto for a second term.
According to Sifuna, those in power should not dismiss political messaging simply because it is now being used against them.
“The same way you came in using the ‘Hustler’ slogan is the same way Kenyans are now using ‘Wantam’. You cannot deny citizens that right,” he said.
President Ruto has already directed the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to investigate and prosecute any lawmakers implicated in the alleged extortion, insisting that no one will be shielded from accountability.
“There will be no sacred cows,” the President declared. “No calls from high or low offices will stop EACC from taking action where corruption is involved.”
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