Ruto Launches Multi-Agency Anti-Graft Team to Tackle Corruption

Nairobi, Kenya – President William Ruto has unveiled a powerful multi-agency task force bringing together Kenya’s top security, regulatory, and oversight bodies in what he described as a renewed war on corruption.

The Multi-Agency Team on the War Against Graft (MAT) will be chaired by the Executive Office of the President, with the Attorney General’s Office providing secretariat support. Its membership spans critical watchdog institutions, including the National Intelligence Service (NIS), Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), Asset Recovery Agency (ARA), Financial Reporting Centre (FRC), and the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA).

Mandate and Structure

According to Ruto, MAT is designed to strengthen cooperation among agencies, pool resources, and develop communication strategies aimed at boosting public confidence in anti-corruption efforts.

The task force will:

• Map and address resource needs across institutions.

• Engage with domestic and international partners to recover stolen assets.

• Ensure coordinated investigations, prosecutions, and financial monitoring.

Funding will be drawn from the budget allocations of member agencies, supplemented by other approved sources.

A Signal of Political Resolve

The announcement comes just days after Ruto warned that MPs accused of bribery in Parliament risk arrest – a statement that drew sharp reactions from legislators. The creation of MAT underscores his administration’s pledge to confront corruption not only within ministries and parastatals but also in the political class.

“This is about collaboration, not duplication. We must move from rhetoric to results in the fight against graft,” the President said during the launch.

Hopes and Hurdles

Analysts and transparency advocates welcomed MAT’s formation, noting that past anti-graft initiatives have faltered due to agency turf wars, weak coordination, and political interference.

“Bringing all the key players into one framework could finally break the cycle of fragmentation,” said one governance expert. “But success will depend on whether political will translates into genuine independence and prosecutions, especially of high-profile figures.”

Kenya’s anti-corruption bodies have long faced accusations of overlapping mandates, slow prosecutions, and selective justice. Civil society groups cautioned that MAT will only inspire public confidence if it can demonstrate impartiality, transparency, and accountability in its operations.

The Bigger Picture

With corruption consistently ranked among Kenya’s top governance challenges, the creation of MAT represents a bold institutional experiment. Whether it delivers results will hinge on more than just policy design – it will test Ruto’s ability to insulate the fight against graft from political pressure and vested interests.

For many Kenyans weary of scandals, the question is simple: will MAT be different, or will it join the long list of anti-graft campaigns that began with promise but ended in disappointment?