Former government senior advisor Moses Kuria has added his voice to the ongoing debate following President William Ruto’s claim that Members of Parliament are engaging in extortion.
Kuria admitted that such practices are not new in Kenyan politics and said there is often a very thin line between lobbying and corruption.
“There are always allegations, and the line between what is not acceptable and lobbying is very thin. Some people will hide on this side or the other,” he said.
He recalled an incident during the 12th Parliament under former President Uhuru Kenyatta, where lawmakers were allegedly given cash to remove then-Majority Leader Aden Duale.
“In the 12th Parliament, we were given some money by the Uhuru Kenyatta regime to remove Aden Duale as the Majority Leader. It is on Hansard that I waved the money I was given,” Kuria stated.
According to him, each Member of Parliament received KSh100,000 as an incentive to support the replacement of Duale with Amos Kimunya.
Kuria said he shocked the House when he admitted it openly and even offered to return the money.
“We were given 100,000 per person to remove Aden Duale and put Amos Kimunya. I went to the floor of the House and I offered to give it back,” he recalled.
Kuria’s remarks have reinforced concerns about the influence of money in parliamentary decisions and how easily the boundary between genuine lobbying and outright corruption is crossed.
His account highlights the persistence of financial inducements in Kenyan politics and underlines why the current claims by President Ruto have stirred such a heated debate.
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