Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka has sensationally claimed that the government is plotting to arrest Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and other members of Parliament over bribery allegations. Speaking on Monday, August 18, during a stakeholder forum in Meru County, Onyonka alleged that President William Ruto had already sanctioned the arrests as part of a wider scheme targeting legislators.
According to Onyonka, the move is politically motivated, with the Head of State keen to paint Parliament as the epicenter of corruption while ignoring graft within the executive. “We have just received information that the president wants to arrest Sifuna and other members of the Senate and the National Assembly,” he claimed. “He wants to arrest them because they were receiving petty cash. Mr President, if you want to deal with this, start by arresting people within your circle.”
The remarks came hours after President Ruto, addressing a joint parliamentary meeting between the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), issued a stern warning to legislators allegedly involved in bribery. Ruto said intelligence reports had exposed a deep-rooted culture of corruption within parliamentary committees, with lawmakers accused of taking millions to influence key legislative decisions.
The President pointed to instances where Senators reportedly received up to Ksh150 million to sway the outcome of critical matters before the House. He further alleged that a section of MPs pocketed Ksh10 million each to push through the Anti-Money Laundering Bill. “They are collecting money in the name of Parliament, and sometimes that money never gets to Parliament. Instead, it ends up in the pockets of a few individuals. We are not going to shame them; we are going to apprehend them,” he said.
Onyonka’s claims highlight growing political tensions over corruption allegations, with legislators accusing the President of selectively targeting Parliament while shielding the executive. The unfolding standoff now sets the stage for a bruising confrontation between the legislature and the presidency, with the credibility of the country’s anti-corruption drive hanging in the balance.
