NAIROBI, Kenya – Senators have threatened to impeach the Speakers of both Houses of Parliament if they fail to summon President William Ruto to substantiate claims that lawmakers are soliciting bribes from senior government officials.
Members of the Senate Public Accounts Committee (PAC), already under public scrutiny over the allegations, accused Senate Speaker Amason Kingi and his National Assembly counterpart Moses Wetang’ula of silence as Parliament’s image comes under fire.
“We want the President to come and explain who are those demanding bribes. You can’t try Parliament in a kangaroo court when statutes exist to deal with unethical conduct by MPs,” said PAC chair Moses Kajwang on Tuesday.
He challenged the Speakers to invoke the relevant procedures to hear the President’s evidence.
The lawmakers expressed frustration with House leadership, which they accused of failing to shield the institution from Executive interference.
“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,” Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua said.
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna added: “The Speaker must defend the institution of Parliament; he is our leader. The Majority and Minority leaders must also stand firm and not reduce the House to a place of jokes.”
Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei escalated the standoff, warning that he would push for impeachment motions against Kingi and Wetang’ula if they failed to act.
“When Parliament is under attack, the leadership must be at the forefront to defend it. The Speakers are walking on a dangerous path and could be casualties before members are,” Cherargei said.
Citing Article 125 of the Constitution, the committee insisted that Parliament has powers to summon any individual, including the Head of State, to appear before its committees.
The uproar follows remarks by President Ruto, who accused parliamentary committees of operating as “dens of extortion,” where members of the Executive are allegedly coerced into paying bribes in exchange for legislative approvals.
