Babu Owino: Executive is the source of bribery within Parliament
By Paulette Mboga, August 21, 2025Embakasi East MP Paul Ongili Owino, popularly known as Babu Owino, has raised concerns about the government’s fight against corruption, accusing the Executive of being the source of bribery within Parliament.
Speaking in a TV interview on Thursday, August 21, 2025, on the state of governance, Babu argued that if Members of Parliament are bribed, then the funds used must originate from the Executive, which controls public resources.
According to the outspoken legislator, corruption cannot be addressed unless the President begins by scrutinising those closest to him.
“If the President wants to fight corruption, he must start by cleaning his own house. The people who walk with the president are the most corrupt,” he said.
He pointed to Nairobi County as an example, citing the Auditor General’s report that highlighted the loss of Ksh800 million said to have been stolen under the guise of paying salaries to the county’s Green Army workers.
Ruto’s anti-corruption strategy
Babu Owino further criticised President William Ruto’s decision to create a multi-agency team to spearhead the fight against corruption. He described the move as unconstitutional, questioning why the Head of State would form a new body when legally mandated institutions such as the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) already exist.
“The President himself has no trust in the EACC or the DCI. Why did you form an unconstitutional body, yet you have existing bodies that can fight corruption?” Babu posed.
He insisted that if parliamentarians are accused of receiving bribes, then the larger responsibility lies with the Executive.
“If Parliamentarians are bribed, where does this money come from? The money must trickle down from somewhere, and the money is held by the Executive; therefore, corruption starts from the Executive,” he emphasised.
The Embakasi East MP also linked corruption scandals to Kenya’s shifting political climate, suggesting that the country is already slipping into campaign mode ahead of the next elections. He warned Kenyans to remain alert, predicting that questionable political deals would soon dominate headlines.
“You will be surprised by many things. You will be surprised to see people being taken to the State House to get goods that do not exist,” Babu remarked.
In his view, corruption cannot be meaningfully addressed until accountability begins at the very top. He called on President Ruto to lead by example and ensure those around him are held accountable for the misuse of public resources.