Poghisio: Ruto’s anti-corruption talk is a show-off
By Cynthia Lodite, August 20, 2025Former Senate Majority Leader Samuel Poghisho has dismissed President William Ruto’s recent anti-corruption remarks as a strategic comment for his international diplomatic visits while noting that the world knows the kind of leadership Kenya is under.
Speaking on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, during an interview with a local media house, the former West Pokot senator noted that Ruto’s recent remarks on fighting corruption in Parliament have placed the country on global watch.
“When the President spoke the way he did, the whole world now knows what kind of Parliament we now have and the kind of leadership we have in this country,” Poghisho said.
Poghisho has argued that Ruto’s anti-corruption remarks could be a strategic move following his ongoing diplomatic trip to Japan and the upcoming trip to the United States of America.
“Was it a strategy that the President had? He is on his way to Japan for the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) in Yokohama, and later will be going to the United States of America, so maybe it was a strategy that he had,” Poghisho said.
He also added, “One of the things that brings embarrassment to the country, and this is for all to know, is that anything you say in any corner of the world in the glare of the media and is reported becomes international news.”
Anti-corruption. Similarly, he warned that his calculated anti-corruption approach could backfire and kick him back.
“So that he sounds like he is fighting corruption in his country, and now how he does it is fighting against him; it is kicking back,” he added.
EACC anti-corruption remarks
Meanwhile, following the corruption remarks by President William Ruto, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) says it has launched investigations into Members of Parliament accused of demanding bribes, this coming after President William Ruto accused lawmakers of turning Parliament into a marketplace for extortion.
Through its chairperson, David Oginde, the commission says it is already tracking several implicated MPs, warning that no one will be spared once evidence is gathered.
“We are actually doing active investigations on several individuals, and you’ll soon see the consequences across various levels of the leadership system,” said Oginde.
“We expect Parliament to make laws that serve us better. But the reality is alleged bribery, inflated allowances, and protection rackets,” he added.
The commission says it has previously met the Speakers of the National Assembly and Senate and will consult them again, stressing that Parliament is a privileged institution where cooperation is vital for the investigations to succeed.
“It’s one rotten potato that spoils the whole bag. We want to know: are there specific individuals, and what can be done not only to punish them but to end the whole thing?” Oginde noted.
On the other hand, the civil society organisations have also weighed in, urging the President to substantiate his remarks by presenting evidence to investigative agencies.