Kenyan Newspapers, August 20: Blow to William Ruto as MPs Reject His Bill on Power Privileges
On Wednesday, August 20, the Kenyan newspapers broadly covered the happenings in the two houses of parliament, where lawmakers embarked on an open mutiny against President William Ruto, who accused them of routinising corruption in their official undertakings.
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Source: UGC
Elsewhere, the newspapers reported on a National Assembly committee to shoot down a bill proposed by the president.
1. People Daily
People Daily reported on the decision by a committee of the National Assembly to reject a bill proposed by President William Ruto.
The Committee on Administration and Internal Security, chaired by Narok West Gabriel Tongoyo, sought to shoot down the Assumption of the Office of President and Transition of Executive Authority Bill, 2025, aimed at establishing formal procedures for presidential power takeovers after elections.
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In its report to the National Assembly, the committee argued that an existing law already governs the transition and assumption of the president's office.
The committee maintained that instead of introducing new legislation, any shortcomings observed during the enforcement of the current act can be addressed through amendments.
The proposed bill, approved by the Cabinet last year, includes a penalty of KSh 10 million for state officials who interfere with the power transition.
It also recommended that the president-elect and deputy president-elect be granted security arrangements similar to those of the current president and deputy.
While rejecting the bill, the Tongoyo-led committee cited Article 141(4) of the constitution, which it argued only pertains to the president’s assumption of office and does not cover the Attorney General, Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, or the Secretary to the Cabinet, as the bill has suggested.
The committee further expressed concern that restricting expenditure during the transition phase—especially funds already allocated by Parliament—could hinder essential services like public safety, healthcare, and emergency response.
The Bill also proposed that the Head of Public Service allocate adequate funding for the transitional committee, secretariat, and centre within the Executive Office of the President’s budget for the election year.
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According to the committee, any law enacted under a constitutional mandate should remain within the bounds of that mandate.
2. Taifa Leo
Taifa Leo spared space for the drama in the bicameral parliament in Nairobi, where MPs and senators conducted business in fury following President William Ruto’s condemnation of corruption.
They boycotted a session they had planned to discuss key government bills.
The National Assembly adjourned its morning session on Tuesday due to a lack of quorum, despite having important government agendas.
According to the National Assembly calendar, every Tuesday, MPs meet at 8:30 pm for a plenary session, with the morning reserved for committee business.
The house had resolved to hold an emergency session yesterday morning, to complete important government business before the long recess scheduled to begin on Wednesday, August 20, 2025.
Deputy Speaker Gladys Boss entered the chamber ready to steer the house through the day's business, but got only three MPs present.
For any business to be transacted in the house, there should be at least 50 out of 349 MPs in the chamber.
"Since there is not a sufficient number of MPs, parliament is adjourned until 2:30 pm," Shollei announced.
In the afternoon, the MPs spared time to strongly criticise the president's statement and even called on Senate and National Assembly Speakers Amason Kingi and Moses Wetang'ula to order the head of state to present evidence on MPs' involvement in corruption.
The MPs threatened to expel the speakers should they fail to summon Ruto to appear before them to give evidence.
This followed Ruto's remarks during the joint parliamentary group meeting between Kenya Kwanza and ODM.
The president presided over the meeting alongside ODM leader Raila Odinga.
The two leaders accused the MPs of extorting members of the executive and others who appear before them for accountability queries.
The president also claimed that MPs were demanding bribes to pass certain bills and write favourable reports for officials appearing before them.
3. Daily Nation
The newspaper reported on the fate of Kericho governor Erick Mutai, which is set to be decided by the Senate.
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi called a special sitting on Wednesday, August 20, to hear the charges against the first-term governor.
At the sitting, senators will decide whether to deal with the case through a plenary or form a special committee of 11 members.
On Monday, August 18, Kericho County Assembly Speaker Patrick Mutai formally submitted the resolution to impeach Mutai to the Senate.
The speaker served the Senate with comprehensive documentation, including evidence and transcripts of the proceedings.
Meanwhile, 18 MCAs who opposed the governor's impeachment submitted affidavits challenging the legitimacy of the impeachment, describing it as unconstitutional and flawed due to procedural errors, lack of openness, and violations of fair administrative conduct.
The impeachment vote took place on August 15, with 33 MCAs voting to remove Mutai from office.
The charges against him included alleged misuse of authority, constitutional violations, irregularities in procurement, biased and nepotistic hiring practices, unlawful dismissals and transfers, and encroachment on the roles of legally established public institutions.
4. The Standard
The newspaper reported on President William Ruto's new multiagency team to crack down on corruption.
The newly formed team his designed to resolve longstanding conflicts over jurisdiction, overlapping responsibilities, and stalled legal actions that have hindered anti-corruption efforts.
It will be led by the Executive Office of the President, with the Office of the Attorney General serving as the Secretariat.
Key institutions involved include the National Intelligence Service, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Additional members include the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, Financial Reporting Centre, Asset Recovery Agency, Kenya Revenue Authority, Central Bank of Kenya, and the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority.
According to the president, the multiagency team will streamline investigations and prosecutions, coordinate resources across agencies, facilitate intelligence sharing, and collaborate with both private entities and international partners to recover misappropriated assets.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
