INTERIOR CABINET Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has waded into the raging debate over whether President William Ruto should appear in Parliament to table evidence following his allegations that corruption is rampant in the August House.
Outraged legislators have demanded that the President be summoned to Parliament to provide evidence of the unethical conduct.
However, Mr Murkomen laughed off the matter saying the President can only provide evidence to investigating agencies and Parliament is not one of them.
Mr Murkomen was at first hesitant to talk about the issue but pressed further, he spoke cautiously, saying he expected backlash over his views.
"Let me wade into this debate although I know the risk that come with it because of the public outcry. I personally believe that what the president said did not focus on any individual since he spoke about an institution," Mr Murkomen said.
"The President had also rated us before as Cabinet secretaries and publicly accused some of us of stealing or doing this and that. I knew for sure he was not referring to me because I know myself, so it did not make sense for me to question. Those complaining about the president's remarks should do some sole searching and mend their ways instead of attacking him" he explained.
The Cabinet Secretary, who was speaking to journalists in a wide ranging interview in Nyeri county Thursday night, defended the president saying as the head of state he has the necessary intelligence about what is happening in the country but that intelligence alone cannot stand in a court of law and his remarks were merely meant to caution the legislators who are engaging in corrupt practices.
He wondered why some of the legislators were afraid yet the president had not singled out anyone.
Mr Murkomen who is lawyer said those calling for the summoning of the president to provide evidence have their facts wrong because only investigating agencies like the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations had that mandate and if/when the president wants to provide the evidence he can only do so through those institutions.
"The president cannot convert that intelligence into evidence that can stand the test in a court of law, so what happens because you are in the know as President you use that information to warn those who are engaging in the practice," he said.
A section of members of parliament have demanded that President Ruto be summoned to provide evidence of the unethical conduct he has publicly referred to.
The legislators demanded that anyone involved be summoned immediately to account for their actions, warning that failure to act could erode public confidence in Parliament.
National Assembly speaker Mr Moses Wetangula and his Senate counterpart Amason Kingi have both dismissed Ruto's bribery claims, saying no formal complaints have been filed against the legislators.
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