Cherargei challenges Ruto on corruption amid raging debate
Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei has dared President William Ruto or anyone who has evidence that he is corrupt to prove it.
Speaking on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, Cherargei maintained that it is not good to issue a blanket condemnation on Parliament as a whole.
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The vocal legislator, who previously chaired the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee (JLAC) in the last Parliament, defended his record and said he has never received or solicited a bribe.
Recently, before removal, serving as the vice chair of the Public Accounts Committee, Cherargei acknowledged that corruption exists in many sectors, including Parliament, but warned that generalising the entire House as corrupt was unfair.
“I have served as the chair of JLAC in the last House, and I have never received any bribe. This House, I have been serving as vice chair of Public.
“Corruption is everywhere, and Parliament is not an exception. If you want to kill a system, you give it blanket condemnation, and that is why some of us differ with what our seniors said during the joint PG meeting,” he said.
Cherargei noted that not every legislator is guilty of corruption, adding that reckless remarks risk destroying the reputations of leaders who also have professional careers outside politics.
Call for due process
The Nandi Senator urged the Head of State to forward any evidence of corruption involving MPs to the relevant investigative agencies, including the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).
He argued that this was the only credible way of addressing the issue rather than making sweeping statements.
“Because, if you know someone who is corrupt, refer them to accountability agencies, the DCI, the EACC, because we don’t want to destroy careers.
Some of us, besides politics, have a career. What I can say is that Parliament should be open for scrutiny.
“If I am corrupt, let Ruto or anyone who alleges prove it. No one is above the law,” Cherargei stated.
His comments came amid a heated national debate following President Ruto’s remarks during the UDA-ODM Parliamentary Group meeting earlier this week, where he accused some lawmakers of taking bribes to influence legislation.
