Muite: Corruption fight must start with president to reset Kenya
By Aloys Michael, August 17, 2025Veteran lawyer and Senior Counsel Paul Muite has called for a bold and uncompromising war on corruption, urging that the fight must begin at the very top with the President.
In a statement on his X account on Sunday, August 17, 2025, Muite said corruption lies at the heart of Kenya’s challenges.
“The fight against corruption, the fulcrum of 90% of our problems, must start at the President without hesitation,” he stated.
Muite warned that the rot doesn’t stop with the executive.
“It is from there that it flows down to Parliament, the judiciary, and all other institutions through capture and weaponisation,” he said.
He stressed that cosmetic changes will not suffice, calling for sweeping reform.
“A complete reset is the objective,” Muite declared, urging national introspection and firm action to dismantle entrenched interests that have hijacked public institutions.
His comments come amid growing public frustration with runaway graft and institutional dysfunction, with many Kenyans demanding accountability and transformative leadership to restore integrity in governance.
Fight against graft
President William Ruto has issued a stern warning against corruption within Parliament, singling out committee members demanding bribes to alter or ignore official reports.
The President made the remarks on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, during the official opening of the Devolution Conference in Homa Bay, where he emphasised the government’s commitment to transparency and accountability.
In a bold address, Ruto condemned what he described as a growing trend of corruption within parliamentary oversight committees.
“We cannot allow committees of Parliament to demand to be bribed for them to write reports or to look the other way for what is happening in either the national or county government,” Ruto declared.
The President’s comments come amid heightened scrutiny of public institutions and growing concern over the integrity of oversight mechanisms in both national and county governments.
“We are working hard to build a country where institutions function properly and where every arm of government plays its role with integrity,” he said.
“If we allow corruption to thrive within oversight bodies, then we undermine the very foundation of our democracy.”
President Ruto reiterated his administration’s zero-tolerance stance on corruption, urging all leaders from Parliament to county assemblies to uphold the highest standards of ethics.
“There is no space for individuals who want to make a profit out of public service. Leadership is about service, not self-enrichment,” he said.