House of bribes

Shocking revelations by MPs and senators that they received bribes to impeach former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua have brought to the fore the alarming level of corruption that has permeated the 13th Parliament.

Some long-serving MPs have raised concerns about how rotten Parliament has become, describing the current National Assembly and Senate as the worst and most corrupt Parliament in the nation's history.

Prof Fred Ogola, an economic and governance expert, says the Finance Bills and Gachagua's impeachment exposed corruption, an extortion ring and the deep rot within the National Assembly.

"We are having the most corrupt Parliament in the history of Kenya. No one reads the Bills. They only look for who will give out the money before deciding whether to pass them. We have a Parliament that is incapable of interrogating Bills," he said.

Prof Ogola said the time had come for laws allowing the electorate to recall legislators in order to instil discipline, accountability and strict adherence to the principles of leadership and integrity.

Last week, National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohamed confirmed what many Kenyans had feared — that MPs were heavily compromised to impeach Gachagua. He also named Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot as one of the key players in the alleged bribery scheme.

Junet, who is also the Suna East MP, claimed Cheruiyot acted as the accounting officer who managed and distributed funds during Gachagua's impeachment in 2024.

He further alleged that some legislators who received the money had little to show for it, claiming one beneficiary had only managed to build a corrugated iron-sheet house in Bungoma despite receiving a hefty bribe.

 "When we were impeaching Gachagua, there was some money that was moving around Parliament. The accounting officer was Aaron Cheruiyot. I will say the truth, there was something moving around," Junet alleged.

He added: "There are some people who received the money but have not built their homesteads. Impeachment does not come every day. If you got something from Gachagua's impeachment, please improve your home."

Cheruiyot later denied the allegations, insisting Gachagua was impeached because of his own conduct, including tribal remarks, his "shareholder" comments and leadership concerns, and not because legislators had been bribed.

"Gachagua was ousted due to his own mistakes. He was impeached because of his tribal remarks and his shareholder remarks. No money was given out to facilitate his impeachment," he said on Friday.

However, Lang'ata MP Felix Odiwuor, popularly known as Jalang'o, appeared to corroborate the claims during a podcast, admitting MPs "were paid, and they enjoyed the money", although he said the amounts varied depending on who was approached and when.

"People were happy. It depended on who you talked to, where, and at what time. There are people who 'ate' on both sides," Jalang'o said, suggesting there was a high-stakes bidding war between those pushing for Gachagua's impeachment and those seeking to save him.

Bumula MP Jack Wamboka had also faced allegations of seeking financial inducements from officials of the former National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC). Although he was later cleared by the National Assembly, the Committee of Powers and Privileges found him unsuitable to hold any committee leadership position for the remainder of the 13th Parliament.

An inquiry by the House absolved Wamboka of allegations that he sought financial inducements from former NCIC officials.

"To preserve public confidence in the impartiality, fairness and integrity of parliamentary oversight processes, the House finds Wamboka unsuitable to hold any leadership position in committees exercising oversight over constitutional and statutory commissions, independent offices and audit-related matters for the remainder of the term of the 13th Parliament," the committee said.

The commission had complained of alleged hostility, harassment and demeaning treatment of its officers during appearances before the committee chaired by Wamboka.

Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo later appeared on Citizen TV, where he claimed he had been offered Sh10 million either to vote in favour of Gachagua's impeachment or skip the debate altogether. He further alleged he was warned that accepting the money and failing to follow instructions would have serious consequences.

Maanzo said he was approached by individuals he described as state agents and Kenya Kwanza operatives and offered between Sh4 million and Sh10 million to support the impeachment.

He declined to identify those involved, citing fears for his safety, and has not indicated whether he formally reported the alleged threats to investigators.

"I was approached on the condition that I take money and vote YES, and that if I took it and voted NO, I would not get to my house. It was Sh10 million from government agents," Maanzo said.

Gachagua has since urged the Court of Appeal to take judicial notice of the claims made by the MPs.

This is not the first time MPs have admitted that Parliament has surrendered its oversight authority and become an extension of the Executive rather than serving as a check on its power.

Last year, Juja MP  George Koimburi claimed legislators were offered Sh2 million each to vote in favour of the Finance Bill.

According to Koimburi, MPs were promised the money in exchange for supporting legislation that sparked widespread condemnation amid the rising cost of living.

"We were offered money... You saw how they carried money in sacks. We were told that for every YES vote, we would receive Sh2 million," he said.

Apart from Koimburi, President William Ruto himself, on August 18 last year, accused MPs of receiving bribes to vote against the anti-money laundering law.

Speaking during a joint parliamentary group meeting attended by ODM and UDA legislators, the President said he was aware of corrupt dealings within parliamentary committees.

"There are legitimate concerns about how resources are being spent in the counties, and we cannot run away from them. By virtue of the position I hold today, I am a consumer of raw intelligence. I know what's going on," he said.

The President claimed that some MPs had been compromised with millions of shillings to frustrate the passage of critical legislation.

"Do you, for example, know that a few members of your committee collected Sh10 million so that you don't pass that law on anti-money laundering? Did you get the money?" he asked.

Ruto also questioned how some county officials were able to access such large sums of money. "Where does somebody find Sh150 million? Is that his money? That is money that belongs to the county," he said.

He warned that corruption was eroding Parliament's credibility and undermining public confidence.

"There are people who are destroying the credibility of Parliament, and they are collecting money in the name of Parliament. Most of the time, that money never gets to Parliament; it gets to a few people," he said.

In February this year, the Council of Governors (CoG) wrote to Senate Speaker Amason Kingi seeking an audience over allegations of extortion and harassment.

The governors accused specific members of the Senate's County Public Accounts and Investments Committee (CPAIC) of extortion, harassment and demanding bribes.

Forty governors signed a statement suspending appearances before the committee until the matter was addressed.

They said they had been scorned and humiliated by "four notorious senators" during committee hearings.

CoG Chairman and Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi said governors who had allegedly been asked for bribes had evidence, which they were prepared to present to the Senate Speaker.

"The governors who are victims of extortion in the Senate will table the evidence before the Speaker. For now, we are not naming them because we are giving room for negotiations," he said.

Opposition principals and allied MPs argue that Parliament has become a stooge and an appendage of the Executive, saying the institution has lost its independence.

Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka and other critics have repeatedly accused President Ruto's administration of compromising the legislature, claiming oversight and public assets have effectively been "auctioned" to serve Executive interests.

"It's regrettable that Ruto has reduced Parliament to an extension of State House. That is why State assets are being sold unilaterally because Parliament has been compromised," he said.

Kabuchai MP Majimbo Kalasinga said: "The problem in Parliament is that once you tie people to an opinion, they vote accordingly. Look at how a huge section of this Parliament has been auctioned after joining the Broad-Based Government. That was the worst thing to happen to our Parliament. The Parliament of the Republic of Kenya has become an annex of the Executive."