Poghisio: We all know how Murkomen, Duale and Chirchir acquired their wealth
By Paulette Mboga, September 1, 2025Former Cabinet Minister for Information and Communication Technology, Samuel Poghisio, has questioned President William Ruto’s commitment to fighting corruption, saying the Head of State must first deal with individuals within his own Cabinet.
Speaking during a public forum, Poghisio accused Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, Health CS Aden Duale, and Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport CS Davis Chirchir of corruption, alleging that their sudden accumulation of wealth is well known to Kenyans.
“President Ruto, are you willing to remove the log in your own eye, that is, Murkomen, Duale, and Chirchir?” Poghisio asked while on air on Monday, September 1, 2025. “Stop condemning a speck everywhere and look at the log closest to you. They are corrupt, and we all know how they acquired their wealth.”
The former minister challenged the Head of State to demonstrate genuine commitment in the fight against corruption by first addressing scandals within his own Cabinet. Poghisio argued that Kenyans are watching and waiting for action that proves no individual is untouchable.
According to Poghisio, the persistence of corruption at the highest levels of government has eroded public trust in institutions and weakened President Ruto’s reform agenda. He insisted that any meaningful fight against graft must begin at the top.
“The President must lead by example. If he does not act against those in his inner circle, Kenyans will have every reason to doubt whether the anti-corruption fight is sincere,” he noted.
Poghisio further urged Parliament and oversight bodies not to remain silent in the face of alleged corruption involving powerful individuals, warning that selective justice would only deepen public frustration.
Background on corruption debate
Poghisio has also recently spoken on the controversy surrounding the government’s new e-procurement system. He argued that politics and corruption are the driving forces behind its rejection by Members of Parliament, rather than technical or operational challenges.
According to the former ICT minister, entrenched interests benefit from loopholes in manual procurement processes and are therefore resistant to change. “The e-procurement system threatens those who thrive on corruption, and that is why it is facing rejection,” he said.
Poghisio emphasised that for Kenya to move forward, Parliament, County Assemblies, and the Executive must engage in dialogue to overcome these hurdles and ensure reforms that promote transparency and accountability are implemented.