Ruto Forms Multi-agency Team to Combat Graft After Clash with MPs

A day after trading barbs with Members of Parliament over allegations of corruption and extortion in parliamentary committees, President William Ruto has unveiled a new multi-agency team to strengthen the government’s war on graft.

The team, chaired by the Executive Office of the President, brings together key state institutions tasked with investigating, prosecuting, and recovering proceeds of corruption. The Office of the Attorney General will serve as the secretary, with membership drawn from the 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).

According to the government, the joint task force will coordinate intelligence sharing, streamline investigations, and fast-track prosecution of graft cases. It is also expected to intensify scrutiny of public procurement, monitor illicit financial flows, and enhance asset recovery mechanisms targeting individuals accused of looting public funds.

The announcement comes amid heightened tension between the Executive and Legislature after President Ruto accused House committees of operating as dens of extortion, where senior government officials are allegedly coerced into paying bribes to secure passage of bills and motions. His remarks triggered uproar among lawmakers, some of whom have threatened to summon him to Parliament to substantiate the allegations.

By constituting the multiagency team, President Ruto appears keen to reinforce his administration’s anti-corruption credentials while shifting pressure onto oversight institutions to deliver tangible results. The move signals renewed determination to confront entrenched graft networks that have long undermined governance and eroded public trust in state institutions.