William Ruto Forms New Anti-Corruption Taskforce to Strengthen War on Graft
- President William Ruto formed a powerful multi-agency task force to lead Kenya’s renewed war on corruption, placing it under his office’s direct control
- The new team, unveiled through a presidential proclamation, brought together intelligence, investigative, financial, and regulatory bodies under one coordinated framework
- Ruto said the Multi-Agency Team on War Against Corruption would tackle economic crimes through synergy in probes, prosecutions, and asset recovery
- The move marks a sharp shift from past ad hoc collaborations, with the president anchoring the team on fresh laws and constitutional mandates
Didacus Malowa, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.
President William Ruto has established a new task force to coordinate the government’s fight against corruption, signalling an aggressive shift in strategy.
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Through a presidential proclamation dated August 18, 2025, Ruto announced the creation of the Multi-Agency Team on War Against Corruption (MAT).
The new body will bring together top state organs to streamline investigations, prosecutions, and asset recovery efforts.
"The Executive Office of the President shall chair the Multi-Agency Team, while the Office of the Attorney General shall head the Secretariat," read the proclamation in part.
Other members include the National Intelligence Service, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the Financial Reporting Centre, the Asset Recovery Agency, the Kenya Revenue Authority, the Central Bank of Kenya, and the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority.
How will Ruto's task force operate?
According to the proclamation, the MAT’s primary role is to ensure synergy and inter-agency cooperation in combating corruption, economic crimes, and related offences.
It is tasked with strengthening coordination among investigative, intelligence, financial, and regulatory bodies that have often operated independently.
The decision builds on past efforts, similar to a framework that was first recommended in 2015 following a review of Kenya’s anti-corruption legal and policy systems.
Since then, ad hoc collaborations have delivered limited results, with frequent turf wars between agencies undermining the fight.
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Ruto’s directive formalises and expands that model, creating a standing team with clearly defined objectives and leadership.
The head of state emphasised that the establishment of MAT was grounded in constitutional provisions obligating all Kenyans to fight corruption, as well as his mandate under Articles 10, 129, 131, and 201 to safeguard public resources.
He further cited new laws such as the Conflict of Interest Act, 2025, and recent amendments to the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act as key enablers of the task force’s mission.
Will Ruto expose corrupt leaders?
The formation of the task force comes amid the head of state's threat to reveal the names of lawmakers taking bribes.
Ruto warned lawmakers during a joint Kenya Kwanza–ODM meeting that corruption in parliament will no longer be ignored.
He revealed intelligence reports suggesting some MPs and senators received bribes worth millions of shillings to influence legislative processes.
Ruto singled out the Anti-Money Laundering Bill, claiming some legislators pocketed up to KSh 10 million each, while one senator allegedly took KSh 150 million.
He pledged that both the givers and receivers of such bribes will be arrested and prosecuted.
Proofreading by Asher Omondi, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
