NCCK challenges President Ruto to substantiate corruption claims in parliament

Speaking during a Sunday service at the Pentecostal Evangelistic Fellowship of Africa (PEFA) Church in Roysambu, Nairobi County, NCCK Vice Chairman Bishop John Okinda said the fight against corruption requires concrete steps, not rhetoric.

“The ongoing debate is good. We need to tackle corruption as a nation. But we want to see the end result. We need to jail the corrupt,” Bishop Okinda said.

His sentiments were echoed by Bishop Samuel Njiriri of Stewards Revival Ministry and Apostle Peter Manyuru of Jesus Teaching Ministry, who both urged the President to act decisively on intelligence reports at his disposal.

“This is the right time for the President to take action. He has a lot of intelligence; let him use it to prosecute the corrupt,” said Bishop Njiriri.

“We want to see action taken against corrupt leaders, not just talk,” added Apostle Manyuru.

The NCCK further opposed the formation of a multi-agency team to spearhead the anti-graft war, insisting that the mandate should rest solely with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) as provided for in the Constitution.

“EACC, under Bishop Oginde, should take full mandate. Don’t bring many people, there will be confusion,” Bishop Okinda cautioned.

President Ruto, who returned to the country this weekend from Japan after attending the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9), has yet to respond to calls from both Parliament and the clergy to make public the evidence he says he received from intelligence agencies implicating some MPs in corruption.

The remarks by church leaders add to mounting pressure on the President to demonstrate political will in the fight against graft by moving beyond pronouncements and ensuring the prosecution of those implicated.