Ukweli Party leader Boniface Mwangi has pledged to introduce the death penalty for people convicted of corruption if he is elected Kenya's president in the 2027 General Election, saying public officials found guilty of stealing state resources would face execution after due legal process.
Mwangi made the announcement in a campaign video posted on his X account on Monday, arguing that corruption has continued to deprive Kenyans of public services and development, and that harsher punishment is needed to curb the vice. The declaration is part of his campaign platform after taking over the leadership of the Ukweli Party in June ahead of his presidential bid in the August 2027 elections.
In the video, Mwangi said he would not tolerate corruption if elected president and pledged to push for legal reforms that would classify corruption as a capital offence.
"Nikiwa rais wa Kenya, nitapambana na ufisadi bila woga. Sheria itabadilishwa ndio makosa ya ufisadi ipewe hukumu ya kifo," ("If I become the President of Kenya, I will fight corruption without fear. The law will be changed so that corruption offences carry the death penalty)," he said.
If enacted, the proposed law would mean that anyone convicted of corruption involving public resources could face the death sentence.
Mwangi argued that such punishment would send a clear message that the misuse of public funds would no longer be tolerated and that leaders entrusted with public resources must be held fully accountable for their actions.
Although Kenya retains the death penalty in its laws, corruption is not among the offences punishable by death.
Under the current Penal Code, capital punishment is reserved for offences such as murder, treason and robbery with violence, although Kenya has not executed anyone since 1987. This was after Hezekiah Ochuka and Pancras Oteyo Okumu, leaders of the 1982 coup attempt, were hanged for treason.
Kenyan courts can still impose death sentences, but successive presidents have commuted them to life imprisonment.
Former Presidents Mwai Kibaki and Uhuru Kenyatta reduced the sentences of inmates on death row during their time in office. President William Ruto also commuted all death sentences imposed up to November 21, 2022, to life imprisonment.
The current legal framework on corruption provides for penalties that include imprisonment, fines or both, depending on the offence.
Courts may also impose additional financial penalties based on the value of public funds lost through corrupt dealings.
For Mwangi's proposal to become law, Parliament would have to amend existing legislation to classify certain corruption offences as capital crimes. Any such Bill would require debate and approval by lawmakers before it could take effect.
Legal experts have noted that expanding the list of offences punishable by death would likely face constitutional scrutiny.
While Kenya's Constitution guarantees the right to life, it also permits deprivation of life where authorised by law.
Any legislation introducing the death penalty for corruption could therefore face legal challenges in court.
Corruption remains one of Kenya's biggest governance challenges, with successive governments pledging to strengthen institutions responsible for investigating and prosecuting economic crimes.
Alleged misuse of public funds continues to dominate public debate, while calls for tougher punishment for those convicted of corruption remain a recurring issue in the country's political discourse.
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