Parliament is completely captured by the executive: Senator Maanzo

Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo says the executive has 'captured' the legislature and lawmakers are no longer free to carry out their duties without external influence.

The legislator, who served as Makueni MP from 2013 before becoming a Senator in 2022, claims there is interference in parliament activities by President William Ruto’s leadership to influence decision-making, which he says was not the case in former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s government.

Maanzo on a Thursday panel discussion on Citizen TV’s Day Break program was asked if Parliament has been captured by the executive, to which he said; “Completely! I have been a member of parliament for many years… and I can assure you there is a very big difference between the Ruto regime and the previous regime.”

He pointed out the controversial 2023 Finance Act which lawmakers passed last year, alleging Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza Alliance bribed independent legislators as well as opposition MPs from the Azimo la Umoja One Kenya coalition party to support it.

“Whether you like it or not, the so-called Finance Bill was obtained fraudulently in the house. Total fraud. Either, members were taken away from the country, intimidation and bribery, which I am aware of and can testify,” Maanzo said.

According to the senator, who claims the interference is rampant in the National Assembly compared to the Senate, lawmakers are compromised through leaders of the majority.

“There are usually political party positions, mobilising of members… machinations. Corruption in the House begins with the majority and minority. The first majority was Azimio but quickly, small parties and independent candidates were bought. Corruption begins at State House,” he said.

Maanzo added that “the only time there was no capture of the House” was during the vote on Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza’s impeachment motion in the Senate in November last year, which saw the governor survive a second ouster bid by Meru MCAs.

“At that moment, the normal communication through the leaders of the majority did not take place. State House stayed away from that matter and allowed members to decide,” the Makueni Senator said.

Maanzo’s comments come in the backdrop of Monday’s State House meeting among the leadership of the executive, judiciary and legislature to resolve the tiff between the judiciary and executive. 

It followed Ruto’s recent public attacks against the judicial arm, accusing it of sabotaging his government’s agenda after court orders halting several projects that the Kenya Kwanza government intends to implement.

The meeting was however seen by some as a ‘capture’ of the court system and Parliament by the executive.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga said it was meant to blackmail and intimidate judges to make them compliant with the president’s directives, arguing that it should have been conducted by ‘neutral’ commissions in a ‘neutral’ environment, not between heads of the government arms at the State House.