Ruto’s ‘handcheques’ claim exposes rot in political class

Title: Hand-Cheques Allegation Unmasks Deep Corruption in Kenya’s Political Class
Nairobi — A startling claim by William Ruto has thrust Kenya’s elite politics into stark relief. At a March 31 media round-table, the President alleged that his former deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, demanded a staggering KSh 10 billion in order to provide political support in the Mt Kenya region — threatening to turn him into a one-term President otherwise.
This hand-cheque claim — a blend of old-style politically-brokered loyalty and outright extortion — has ignited outrage, with many pointing to it as a symptom of deeper rot in Kenya’s political class.
The background to the revelations is steeped in allegation and counter-allegation. According to the President’s narration, Gachagua’s demand was explicitly tied to organising political machinery in Mt Kenya, essentially transforming regional support into a paid service.
Gachagua, on his part, dismissed the claims as a smear campaign, accusing Ruto of orchestrating his ouster and manipulating narratives to cover his own political failings.
Meanwhile, other reports suggest a broader pattern: allegations that MPs and Senators were paid to push the 2024 Finance Bill 2024, that legislative loyalty is bought, and that State House itself has become the nexus of transactional politics.
The reaction across Kenyan society has been immediate and damning. Civil society commentators argue the episode shines a spotlight on the commodification of loyalty — where elected representatives treat public office as a personal ATM and the people’s mandate as a bargaining chip.
For many voters, particularly the youth who mobilised under banners like #RejectFinanceBill2024, such revelations only deepen the sense of betrayal: promises of reform and accountability seem hollow when the politics of influence revert to bribery and intimidation. The controversy has also thrown a harsh light on institutional credibility, given that the very offices charged with upholding ethics appear deeply compromised.
As Kenya heads towards the 2027 general elections, the implications are profound. If the hand-cheque story is anything more than a sensational score-settling move, it signals that political capital is still being bought, not earned — and that structural change remains elusive. The pressure is now on President Ruto and his successors: will they clean house, strengthen oversight and re-assert public trust, or allow the same transactional system to persist? For many Kenyans, the question is no longer just who leads? but on what terms?