Junet Mohamed Vows MPs Will Confront William Ruto Over Graft Claims: "You Can't Demonise Parliament"
- MP Junet Mohamed explained the reasons why President William Ruto's corruption remarks were not to target only parliament
- He clarified parliament’s constitutional mandate, warning against reducing the House to a political battleground
- He also clarified why legislators should not focus much on the allegations, while expounding on the role of the parliament
Nancy Odindo, a TUKO.co.ke journalist, has over four years of experience covering Kenyan politics, news, and features for digital and print media.
President William Ruto’s recent claims that some Members of Parliament received bribes of up to KSh 10 million to influence the passage of certain decisions have sparked sharp reactions within the National Assembly.
Source: Twitter
Lawmakers have openly expressed their displeasure with what they view as attempts to discredit parliament as an institution.
On Tuesday, August 19, Suna East MP Junet Mohamed delivered a strong rebuttal on the floor of the House, accusing the president of unfairly demonising parliament.
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Will MPs defend parliament against Ruto's accusations?
He argued that allegations of corruption should be directed at specific individuals rather than tarnishing the image of the entire legislative arm of government.
“He who alleges must prove. The burden of proof is with the people who have alleged, not with us,” Junet insisted, maintaining that parliament is a constitutionally established institution that holds a direct mandate from the people of Kenya.
The ODM legislator further warned that parliament will not tolerate attempts to degrade its reputation or reduce it to a 'punching bag' in political battles.
According to him, corruption is a national challenge that cuts across all arms of government, including the Executive and Judiciary, and should not be narrowed down to legislators alone.
Junet stressed that condemning the entire parliament would weaken the fight against graft.
He urged his colleagues to remain calm, promising that parliament’s leadership would confront its critics.
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“As the leadership of this House, we will defend parliament to death and to the last breath. If there are corruption allegations against individuals, they must carry their own cross. But we will not allow the whole House to be condemned,” Junet declared.
"Members, do not be annoyed; we will deal with these people perpendicularly. We know how to deal with them. Just keep quiet," he added.
Source: Facebook
Should MPs take Ruto's claims seriously?
The fierce legislator also took a swipe at Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga, cautioning MPs against taking their accusations too seriously.
“When you see Raila or the president accusing us, it is because they know how important this institution is. Everything they want to do must pass through parliament,” he said, adding that MPs would ultimately have the final say.
He went on to defend the stature of the House, reminding critics that becoming an MP is not an easy feat.
“Parliament operates under the constitution and is an arm of government that many Kenyans aspire to join. MPs earn the title ‘honourable’ because they are elected by the people. You cannot demonise the whole institution simply because of the alleged actions of a few individuals,” he said.
Did Ruto form task force to probe corruption?
Meanwhile, hours after the president made the remarks, he set up a new task force to strengthen Kenya’s anti-corruption drive.
The Multi-Agency Team on War Against Corruption (MAT) will coordinate investigations, prosecutions, and asset recovery.
Chaired by the Executive Office of the President and secretariat by the Attorney General, it brings together key state agencies.
MAT aims to enhance inter-agency collaboration to combat corruption, economic crimes, and related offences effectively.
Proofreading by Asher Omondi, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
