High Court halts Ruto’s anti-corruption taskforce
Gavel. Courtesy photo
The High Court has temporarily suspended the operations of President William Ruto’s newly created Presidential Multi-Agency Taskforce on the War Against Corruption (MAT-WAC).
Justice Bahati Mwamuye, on the morning of Wednesday, August 20, 2025, issued conservatory stay orders halting the implementation of the President’s proclamation that established the taskforce.
"Pending the inter partes hearing and determination of the applicants' notice of motion, a conservatory order be and is hereby issued staying the operation and implementation of the Presidential Proclamation on the Establishment of the Multi-Agency Team on War Against Graft," Justice Mwamuye ruled.
The orders follow a petition filed by Nakuru-based surgeon Dr Magare Gikenyi, alongside Eliud Karanja Matindi, Philemon Abuga Nyakundi, and Dishon Keroti Mogire.
The petitioners argue that the President exceeded his constitutional mandate by setting up the task force through Executive Order No. 1 of 2025, a move they say undermines independent offices already mandated to fight corruption.
They contend that institutions such as the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) already have the authority to combat graft, making the new body unconstitutional and a duplication of roles.
The petition also questions the funding framework of the task force, which allows it to draw support from institutional budgets and “other sources,” warning this could open avenues for misuse of public resources.
The suspended task force was to bring together 11 key agencies, including:
Executive Office of the President (Chair)
Office of the Attorney General (Secretariat lead)
National Intelligence Service (NIS)
Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC)
Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP)
Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI)
Financial Reporting Centre (FRC)
Asset Recovery Agency (ARA)
Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA)
Central Bank of Kenya (CBK)
Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA)
Its mandate included fostering inter-agency cooperation, harmonising anti-graft policies, and strengthening asset recovery mechanisms.
