Speaker Kingi dismisses Ruto's bribery claims, says no formal complaints filed against senators

Senate Speaker Amason Kingi has dismissed allegations of bribery and extortion within the Senate, insisting that no formal complaints have been lodged against any legislator.

Addressing the House on Wednesday, Kingi said the Senate leadership had met earlier in the day and expressed concern that the accusations by President William Ruto lacked specific details.

“The leadership of the Senate has noted that the allegations have not included material particulars, including the specific individual senators against whom allegations of bribery are made,” he said.

Speaking at the 2025 Devolution Conference last week, Ruto accused MPs and senators of soliciting bribes from government officers appearing before committees. The president claimed that Cabinet secretaries and governors had fallen victim to extortion.

However, the Speaker maintained that no evidence or official complaint had been submitted to him linking any senator to bribery or extortion.

“For the Senate to invoke this framework, it is most helpful that the information available to the executive and other organs and agencies or other persons is shared with the Senate. As the Speaker of the Senate, I have not received any complaints or information relating to bribery or extortion, or other corrupt practice against a senator from a member, a member of the executive, ministries, departments, or agencies of government, a governor, or other county government agencies,” he said.

“If I do receive such a complaint, I am obligated, and I will take the necessary stern actions without delay.”

Kingi stressed that senators occupy positions of responsibility and are bound by the Constitution to uphold integrity.

“Senators are called to a very high office of responsibility and accountability and are required under the Constitution to live up to a very high standard of integrity and accountability. This is the thrust of a number of provisions of the Constitution, including Articles 1, Article 3, and Article 10, as well as Chapter 6 on the leadership and integrity of state officers,” he said.

“Senators take and subscribe to an oath of office, to obey, respect, uphold, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution. It follows, therefore, that allegations of bribery and extortion made against senators merit the most urgent and deliberate action and intervention.”

The Speaker reiterated that the fight against corruption requires joint efforts from all arms of government, urging collaboration across institutions.

“To fight corruption requires a systematic and integrated approach in which all organs of the government collaborate and cooperate to the extent of their respective spheres. To this end, while there exist constitutional and statutory agencies for preventing, detecting, and prosecuting corrupt acts, and while the judiciary adjudicates on such matters, the legislature too has robust mechanisms for addressing the vice,” Kingi said.

He cited the Parliamentary Powers and Privileges Act as providing a framework for handling cases of misconduct by legislators.

“As you are aware, the Parliamentary Powers and Privileges Act, Cap 6 of the Laws of Kenya, has an elaborate framework for Parliament to deal with errant legislators. Section 15, subsection 5 of this Act, vests the Committee of Powers and Privileges, which is chaired by the Speaker, either of its own motion or as a result of a complaint made by any person, to inquire into the conduct of a member whose conduct is alleged to constitute breach of privilege in terms of Section 16, within 14 days of receipt of that particular complaint, and to make recommendations to the House for its appropriate action,” Kingi explained.

He reminded senators that the law expressly prohibits them from engaging in acts of corruption.

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“Part of the conduct that is prohibited under this Act includes improper influence of Members of Parliament, fraud, intimidation, offer or promise of any inducement or benefit of any kind to a member in the performance of the member’s functions,” he said.

“It is prohibited for members to solicit, receive, or accept any fee, compensation, gift, reward, favour, or benefit of any kind for undertaking or forgoing to undertake their functions.”

On Tuesday, a section of Senators called for President Ruto to be summoned to shed light and give evidence on his allegations. The legislators pressed for immediate investigations and disciplinary action against colleagues accused of running a bribery scheme in parliamentary committees, saying the scandal has placed the Senate’s integrity in jeopardy.

They also demanded that anyone involved be summoned immediately to account for their actions, warning that failure to act could erode public confidence in Parliament.