Mukurweini MP John Kaguchia has sparked debate after alleging that politicians receive Ksh.100,000 each time they attend Parliamentary Group (PG) meetings with President William Ruto at State House.
Kaguchia claimed that some lawmakers flock to the State House largely to access financial perks. He argued that the Executive has entrenched its influence over political leadership through what he described as token handouts tied to such meetings.
“Political leadership has been captured by the executive, and most of them are now looking at how much money they are getting as individuals. Once you see a political leader going to the State House, they get a lot of benefits,” he said on Citizen TV on Monday.
“Every meeting you attend in the State House, you are paid. When you go for a PG, you get Ksh.100,000. The first time I didn’t take the money, but sooner than later I stopped going there.”
The MP further claimed that many leaders have shifted their focus to forging alliances ahead of the 2027 General Election, even as Kenyans grapple with challenges in service delivery.
UDA’s PG Meetings Since 2022
Since forming the government after the 2022 General Election, the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) has convened several PG meetings to align its legislative agenda.
In 2023 alone, the ruling party held meetings on April 11, May 23, and November 7 as it consolidated its parliamentary strategy.
In February 2024, President William Ruto brought together his Cabinet and members of the parliamentary group—including senators and MPs—for a joint retreat in Naivasha.
The party later held another PG meeting on June 18, just days before the deadly anti-government protests on June 25. During that session, lawmakers introduced what they termed “significant” changes to the controversial Finance Bill 2024, citing concerns raised by Kenyans and other stakeholders.
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ODM-UDA Joint Meeting and NADCO Agenda
In August 2025, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) joined UDA for a joint Parliamentary Group meeting at State House. Leaders reviewed progress in implementing the 10-point Agenda and the recommendations contained in the NADCO report, which President Ruto and ODM’s founder, the late Raila Odinga, signed in March 2025.
During the session, leaders unveiled a bipartisan implementation committee and tasked it with overseeing the rollout of the 10-point agenda outlined in the NADCO report.
President Ruto has since announced plans to convene another joint UDA-ODM PG meeting as a follow-up to the inaugural August 18 session.
Parliamentary Strength in the 13th Parliament
According to documents published by the National Assembly, UDA holds the majority in the 13th Parliament. As of May 22, 2023, the party commands 29 Senate seats and 145 seats in the National Assembly.
ODM, on the other hand, controls 86 National Assembly seats and 19 Senate seats.
These figures include nominated members.
