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Kaluma vows to name and shame corrupt senators
15th August, 2025 11:58 PM
Homa Bay Town Member of Parliament George Peter Kaluma has vowed to name and shame corrupt senators after President William Ruto called out a section of legislators who have been demanding bribes to alter or ignore official reports.
According to Kaluma, exposing corrupt senators involved in rent-seeking and extortion against governors and national government officials is the only way to safeguard the integrity of Parliament.
Taking to his official X account on Friday, August 15, 2025, Kaluma claimed that a section of senators who publicly deny the existence of corruption in the legislature and are urging Ruto to reveal the culprits are, in fact, the main perpetrators.
“The Senators denying corruption in the legislature and asking President @WilliamsRuto to name those involved are the lead rent-seekers and extortionists against governors and national government officials. I will name and shame them so that we may protect @parliamentkenya from their dirt,” Kaluma said.
Ruto on corruption
Notably, Kaluma’s remarks come after Ruto urged the Speakers of the National Assembly and the Senate to emphasise the need for transparency and accountability among the Parliamentarians.
Speaking during the opening ceremony of the Devolution Conference in Homa Bay County on Thursday, August 14, 2025, the president singled out members of the House Oversight Committees for using sessions to extort money from guests appearing to respond to audit or budgetary queries.
“Mr. Speaker, it cannot continue to be business as usual. It is unacceptable that parliamentary committees continue to demand bribes in order to write reports or to turn a blind eye to what is happening in the national or county governments,” Ruto said.
“If we allow corruption to thrive within oversight bodies, then we undermine the very foundation of our democracy. It should not be possible for a committee of Parliament to demand payment to write reports or to look the other way.”
Counties oversight
On the other hand, the former prime minister said that the Senate should not oversee county governments during the same conference.
“I believe in devolution; I believe in more, not less, devolution. I believe in a balance of power between Nairobi and the counties; none should stand in the way of the other,” Raila declared.
Raila emphasised that the original intent of devolution under the 2010 Constitution was to bring services closer to the people while promoting local accountability and development.
However, he expressed concern over growing tensions between county executives and the Senate, particularly regarding oversight mechanisms.
“County governments are supposed to be overseen by county assemblies, not the Senate,” Raila said.
Raila also called for strengthened checks and balances within the counties themselves, insisting that both the executive and assembly at the county level must be equally empowered and accountable.
“I believe in strong county executives overseen by equally strong county assemblies,” he noted, urging MCAs to rise to the task of effective oversight and to resist political manipulation from external forces.
Several governors have previously protested Senate summonses, claiming they are politically motivated or redundant.
