Willis Otieno blasts MPs for protests over Ruto’s corruption allegations

Lawyer Willis Otieno has taken a swipe at Members of Parliament after they paralysed committee business in protest against corruption allegations made by President William Ruto.

In a hard-hitting statement shared on his X account on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, Otieno argued that lawmakers had no moral ground to feign outrage, insisting that the accusations of graft were not unfounded.

He accused MPs of being responsible for the very rot they were now pretending to be offended by, pointing out that their failure to carry out their constitutional duties had created the loopholes for corruption to thrive.

Otieno further suggested that Parliament had long earned a reputation for corruption, and that its current protests only exposed discomfort at being openly confronted.

He maintained that had MPs been diligent in executing their oversight and legislative responsibilities, the country would not be grappling with the scale of corruption it currently faces.

“Too much noise from Parliament. You are corrupt and a den of thieves, only that your accuser doesn’t like competition. If you did your job in the first place, we wouldn’t be here,” Otieno stated.

Rot in parliament

His remarks came just days after President Ruto accused MPs of turning oversight committees into corruption dens.

While addressing the Devolution Conference in Homa Bay County on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, Ruto alleged that parliamentary committees had abandoned their constitutional duty and were instead extorting money from the executive and county governments.

“Something is happening in Parliament that must be called out. There is money being demanded from the executive, from governors, from people in the executive, especially those who are for accountability,” Ruto said.

He added that some MPs were using their positions to demand payments in exchange for favourable reports.

“It cannot continue to be business as usual. It cannot be committees of Parliament demand to be paid for them to write reports or look the other way,” he said.

The President went further to criticise the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and the Judiciary, accusing them of frustrating the fight against graft. He insisted that no one should be spared if found guilty.

“I have made it clear to EACC that there will be no sacred cows. There will be no phone calls from below or above to stop anyone from being prosecuted,” he said.

On the Judiciary, Ruto faulted the use of anticipatory bail, saying it gave corrupt officials a shield from justice.

“Do not be a haven for the corrupt to hide behind judicial decisions. We have an innovation that is only available in Kenya, which allows a corrupt person, someone who has stolen public funds, or someone in breach of the law, to avoid prosecution. The anticipatory bail is an innovation that takes us backwards,” Ruto said.

He urged the courts to rethink such orders, questioning how they could help in the fight against corruption.

“Just let us ask ourselves, someone who has stolen public funds goes to court and asks for anticipatory bail, making it impossible for such a person to be arrested and prosecuted, how does that help in the fight against corruption? That is something we must ask our friends at the Judiciary,” he added.

The President stressed that graft was undermining his administration’s transformation agenda. He said his government had already taken steps to strengthen anti-corruption laws, citing his recent signing of the Conflict of Interest Bill.

“We are undertaking a transformation in Kenya, but it is being undermined by corruption. All arms of government and agencies must work together to ensure public resources are used for the purpose they are intended for,” he said.

Defensive

The President’s explosive remarks have triggered uproar in Parliament, with Senators demanding that he be compelled to substantiate his claims.

Senators led by Public Accounts Committee Chair Moses Kajwang’ called on the Speakers of the National Assembly and Senate to use their constitutional powers under Article 125 to summon the President.

“Article 125 gives us the power to compel any person to appear before this committee. This includes the President, who is making claims of unethical conduct by members of Parliament,” Kajwang’ stated.

Other Senators warned that if the Speakers failed to act, they risked impeachment.

“It’s not us that are weak, it’s the leadership of the House that is weak. We’re being invaded by the Executive and our leadership is not saying anything,” Senator Enoch Wambua said.

Senator Samson Cherargei added, “When Parliament is under attack, the leadership of the House must be at the forefront to defend it… they will go before we go.”

Meanwhile, MPs in the National Assembly formally paralysed committee business. In protest, they abandoned chambers and locked committee rooms, insisting that the President’s remarks had unfairly tainted all legislators.

Tetu MP Geoffrey Wandeto asked the Speaker to defend the House, warning that MPs were now being treated with suspicion even when performing their duties.

Other MPs also rejected the sweeping allegations. Suna East MP Junet Mohamed said corruption claims should be addressed individually rather than collectively.

“He who alleges must prove. The burden of proof is with the people who have alleged, not with us,” Junet said.

Adding;

“Individual misconduct should not tarnish the whole institution.”

The standoff between the Executive and Parliament has now escalated into one of the most heated confrontations between the Executive and the Legislature in recent years, with no clear resolution in sight.