NAIROBI, Kenya – President William Ruto has established a powerful Multi-Agency Team (MAT) to lead Kenya’s anti-corruption campaign, in what he described as a decisive escalation of his administration’s fight against economic crimes.
The team, unveiled through Executive Order No. 1 of 2025, will bring together key state institutions to strengthen coordination, close loopholes, and speed up prosecutions.
Membership includes the Executive Office of the President, Office of the Attorney General, National Intelligence Service (NIS), Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Financial Reporting Centre (FRC), Asset Recovery Agency (ARA), Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), and the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA). Other bodies may be co-opted when needed.
“The MAT is mandated to create synergy and inter-agency cooperation in the fight against corruption, economic crimes, and related offenses,” President Ruto said, noting that the initiative is anchored in constitutional obligations to protect public resources.
The Executive Office of the President will chair the team, while the Office of the Attorney General will act as its secretariat, providing legal and policy guidance.
Funding will be drawn from the budgets of participating institutions, with provision for additional support.
The move follows recommendations of the 2015 Taskforce on the Review of the Anti-Corruption Legal, Policy and Institutional Framework, and comes on the back of recent reforms, including the enactment of the Conflict of Interest Act, 2025, and amendments to the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act.
The MAT will also seek cooperation with international partners to trace and recover stolen assets, raise public awareness, and engage the private sector in the fight against graft.
Ruto’s latest push underscores his recent hardline stance. In his November 2024 State of the Nation Address, the President vowed to “confront the dragon head-on,” warning corrupt officials that his government would not tolerate theft of public funds.
“There will be no sacred cows and no telephone call from anywhere below or above to stop anybody from being prosecuted for matters of corruption,” he said during last week’s Devolution Conference in Homa Bay.
The Head of State also raised concerns over reports of bribery in parliamentary committees and county governments, saying corruption was undermining the credibility of institutions and eroding public trust.
“Where does somebody find Sh150 million? Is that his money? That is money that belongs to the county,” Ruto said, urging accountability agencies to act firmly and independently
