Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has accused President William Ruto’s government of double standards in the fight against corruption, claiming the Executive is the “epicenter” of graft.
Speaking on Spice FM on Thursday, August 21, Owino said the administration is “shifting goalposts” and weaponising the war on corruption to target rivals while shielding insiders.
“He who comes to equity must come with clean hands. But the Executive is already rotten… If the president is genuine about fighting corruption, he must start with his own house,” the MP stated.
Owino pointed to alleged scandals, including claims of billions siphoned through the e-Citizen platform, and questioned the construction of a church at State House.
“How much does the president earn monthly? How much has he accumulated in three years? Is it enough to build such a church? The figures don’t add up,” he said.
The lawmaker dismissed Ruto’s assertion that Parliament is the “center of corruption,” arguing that any bribery in the House originates from the Executive.
“Where does the money come from? If MPs are bribed, it is money trickling down from the Executive. Therefore, corruption starts at the presidency,” Owino remarked.
He further questioned the creation of a new multi-agency team to tackle corruption, saying it undermines bodies mandated by the Constitution.
“Why form an unconstitutional body when we already have EACC and DCI? Corruption should not just be talked about. It should be fought,” he noted.
According to Owino, the renewed anti-graft drive is part of a political strategy ahead of the 2027 elections.
“We are entering campaign mode. You will see handouts disguised as empowerment, but what are you empowering when mama mboga only receives 64 shillings, or 40 youths share one motorbike? This is deception,” he said.
On his absence from a recent joint ODM–UDA parliamentary group meeting, Owino said he was neither consulted nor convinced by the coalition deal.
“When the NADCO report and the broad-based government deal was being drafted, I was not consulted. If they didn’t consult me then, why consult me now?” he posed.
“On that day, I chose to perform my conjugal rites, which to me was more important than attending the meeting.”
Despite being branded a “rebel” within ODM, Owino affirmed his loyalty to Raila Odinga.
“I respect Baba. He is my Party leader, and I will never fight him in public. But ODM stands for democracy. I have a democratic right to oppose any wrongdoing, whether from the government or elsewhere,” he said.