Lawyer Willis Otieno has argued that it is impossible to prosecute state officials who are directly running the government in Kenya.

Speaking at the moment, the moment when the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) is put to task to investigate and take action against individuals widely mentioned in graft, Otieno has said, jailing officers working in high-end offices, such as the cabinet, is not a walk in the park.

Recently, President William Ruto directed relevant authorities to investigate corruption activities in parliament and take appropriate action against legislators and their accomplices caught in the trap.

”That’s exactly the point: in Kenya, those who steal public money don’t go to jail; they go to the cabinet. You can’t talk about jailing thieves in a system where the thieves run the system. The DRC and Zimbabwe examples only prove that justice is possible where there is political will,” Otieno said.

On the national debt burden, Willis Otieno added that Kenyans are still overburdened because graft has been institutionalised, benefiting a handful of connected elites.

”Odious debt exists because corruption is institutionalised, the state borrows, the elite loot, and the people are handed the repayment plan. Until we dismantle that architecture of theft, ‘legal recovery’ remains a bedtime story told by the very people who wrote the theft manual.” he added.

Corruption in police recruitment

Meanwhile, Willis Otieno’s sentiments come when Kitui Central Member of Parliament (MP) Makali Mulu has raised a concern over what he terms as systemic corruption in the controversial Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) recruitment process during a session at the National Assembly.

Speaking based on Standing Order 44(2)(c) in the National Assembly, on September 25, 2025, Mulu emphasised the need for a transparent and fair recruitment exercise with equity and fairness in the whole process. This is after Kkamega Senator Boni Khalwale also claimed the entire police recruitment process is being used as a cash cow by military officials.

“What the members are requesting is equity and fairness in this exercise. The third issue that must be addressed is corruption. It has become nearly impossible for young people from poor backgrounds to be recruited into the KDF, because the demands placed on them by recruiting officers are so high that they cannot be met,” Mulu said.

Willis also said that it becomes economic slavery when leaders borrow billions, steal it, and then force citizens to repay through taxes.