MPs Clash With Ruto, Raila During First Joint Meet

MPs Clash With Ruto, Raila During First Joint Meet

Tension erupted on Monday, August 18, as President William Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga faced sharp resistance from lawmakers in their maiden joint parliamentary meeting.

Heated Exchange Between Leaders and MPs

The meeting, bringing together Kenya Kwanza and ODM legislators, was expected to strengthen unity. Instead, it ended abruptly amid heckling, walkouts, and bitter disagreements.

President Ruto came out strongly against corruption within Parliament.

“They are collecting money in the name of Parliament, and sometimes that money never gets to Parliament. Instead, it ends up in the pockets of a few individuals. We are not going to shame them; we are going to apprehend them,” Ruto declared.

His warning followed claims that lawmakers had been demanding bribes from Cabinet Secretaries and county leaders appearing before committees.

Raila Sparks Further Fury

Raila Odinga added fuel to the fire by reviving the debate over the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF).

“NG-CDF is unconstitutional. MPs should not be in charge of this money. These projects belong to county governments,” Raila insisted.

He went further, accusing MPs of accepting bribes in their oversight roles. However, his remarks were met with loud protests and heckles. Some MPs openly dismissed his claims.

MPs Walk Out in Protest

The backlash was so fierce that several lawmakers reportedly walked out while the President was still addressing the meeting.

Mumias East MP Peter Salasya later mocked the event on social media.

“MPs refused to eat lunch organised by Raila and Ruto and even went ahead and refused their prayers during the ODM and KK PG meeting,” Salasya alleged.

Rising Rift Between the Legislature and Executive

The hostility points to growing friction between Parliament and the two leaders. Analysts suggest that the escalating criticism of MPs could lead to major leadership shake-ups within the House.

Senate Majority Leader had earlier urged the leaders to directly confront bribery claims. Both Raila and Ruto agreed the allegations were serious, but MPs felt unfairly targeted.

Reports of chaos during the meeting now raise fresh questions about the stability of the cooperation between Kenya Kwanza and ODM.

Looming Political Fallout

With MPs openly defying both Ruto and Raila, the event has raised alarms over a possible rebellion within Parliament.

The sharp rift, critics warn, could derail the unity agenda and trigger a deeper political crisis if left unresolved.

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MPs Clash With Ruto, Raila During First Joint Meet