Former Chief Justice David Maraga has taken sharp aim at President William Ruto, accusing him of building the most sophisticated bribery network the country has ever seen.
His claims suggest that Ruto’s political power has been cemented not by policy or ideology, but through systematic handouts to Members of Parliament and Senators whose loyalty he later abandons.
According to Maraga, this cycle of bribery and betrayal is the clearest proof of the rot within Ruto’s administration, and Kenyans can no longer afford to ignore it.
The former Chief Justice’s remarks came after Ruto publicly accused MPs of soliciting bribes from governors and senior state officials who appear before parliamentary committees.
While to many it may have sounded like just another statement in the ongoing war of words, Maraga insists that it was much more. To him, it was an unusual admission from the President himself that bribery sits at the very heart of governance in Kenya. He questioned how Ruto could condemn MPs when his own office has been repeatedly mentioned in scandals.
Maraga pointed to the fallout between Ruto and his estranged deputy Rigathi Gachagua, claiming that the President orchestrated bribery campaigns in Parliament to secure his own interests.
He noted that even MPs have confessed to receiving inducements, proof that the system was directly influenced by State House. In his words, Ruto bribes Parliament when he needs their support, only to mock them when their usefulness fades.
He likened this kind of betrayal to the most famous in history, saying that “Brutus has nothing on Ruto.”
For Maraga, the issue goes far beyond political games. He argued that such tactics weaken democracy and rob citizens of resources that should be channeled into development.
Instead of uplifting Kenyans, the money is diverted into political schemes that leave ordinary people poorer while leaders enrich themselves.
This, he warned, is the kind of leadership that breeds resentment and erodes trust in public institutions.
Despite his strong words, Maraga offered four recommendations he believes could help Ruto restore integrity.
First, he called for full budget transparency, with clear records of how funds in empowerment programs are spent.
Second, he demanded open investigations into major scandals such as the eCitizen theft, ghost schools, and costly renovations.
Third, he urged the reopening of corruption cases from the Uhuru Kenyatta era, insisting that courts must be allowed to determine their outcome. Finally, he stressed that accountability must cut across the board, targeting the executive and parastatals as much as MPs.
Anything less, he warned, would cement Ruto’s legacy as a leader who preached integrity while practicing bribery.
Maraga drew a bold parallel to 2002 when Daniel arap Moi, faced with rejection, passed the baton to Mwai Kibaki. He suggested that Ruto might need to take a similar path before 2027 rather than drag the country deeper into despair.
He noted that MPs’ own admissions of taking bribes from the President strip him of moral authority to govern. In his view, Kenyans do not need to wait for the next general election to find new leadership if Ruto continues down this path.
The message is clear and cutting. If Maraga’s claims hold, Ruto’s survival in office may depend less on political maneuvers and more on whether Kenyans will tolerate a President accused of being the chief architect of the bribery he publicly condemns.
The weight of these accusations places his presidency in a precarious position, with his own integrity now under more scrutiny than ever.
