President William Ruto has unveiled a new multi-agency task force to step up the country’s war on corruption.

The announcement comes barely a day after he issued a stern warning to legislators over involvement in bribery and unethical conduct.

In a statement on Tuesday, August 19, Ruto confirmed the creation of the Multi-Agency Team on War Against Corruption (MAT), designed to enhance synergy and improve coordination among institutions charged with fighting graft, economic crimes, and related offences.

The task force will be chaired by the Executive Office of the President, while the Office of the Attorney General will oversee its Secretariat.

Other members include the National Intelligence Service (NIS), the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).

Additional institutions represented in the team are the Financial Reporting Centre (FRC), Asset Recovery Agency (ARA), Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), and the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA). The framework also allows MAT to co-opt other agencies when necessary to strengthen its operations.

According to the President, the team’s mandate is to promote collaboration and coordination between anti-graft bodies, while also engaging government institutions and the private sector to reinforce the overall fight against corruption.

Further, it will assess the resource needs of each participating agency, push for support to bridge any gaps, and provide a platform for sharing strategies and best practices.

MAT is further expected to craft communication strategies that highlight progress in the anti-corruption drive in order to boost public trust.

It will also work with both local and international partners to intensify the fight against organised crime, recover stolen assets, and tackle economic offences more effectively.

Ruto added that the team will draw its funding from the budgets of member organisations as well as unspecified additional sources.

”The MAT shall, to the greatest extent possible, foster cooperation, coordination, and collaboration to enhance the effectiveness of the fight against corruption. For this purpose, the team shall be funded from the budgetary allocations of its member entities and other sources,” Ruto stated in part.

At the same time, President Ruto has faced backlash following his declaration that the government will step up its anti-graft efforts by focusing on Members of Parliament accused of corruption.

He claimed to have received credible intelligence indicating that some lawmakers have been pocketing millions in bribes to sway critical parliamentary decisions.

According to a past report by EACC, Kenya loses about Ksh 608 billion each year to corruption—equivalent to 7.6 per cent of the country’s GDP.