Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka claims he turned down a Sh200 million cash offer allegedly made to convince him to abandon his opposition position, saying he chose to protect his political principles and his family rather than accept the money.
Onyonka said the amount was only an initial payment, with the total offer expected to reach Sh500 million if he agreed to change his political stand and work with the government.
Speaking during a Radio Generation interview on Monday, the senator said he was given an opportunity to take the first payment but decided against it.
“I was initially offered a deposit of 200 million, and more was coming. It was supposed to be 500. It is not the money that I wanted,” Onyonka said.
He claimed the first Sh200 million was to be paid in cash and described what he said he saw at a private residence where the offer was allegedly made.
“That is the deposit I was going to collect in cash, crisp dollar bills, and I went to somebody’s house, and I saw the walls and the money on the walls,” he said.
Onyonka said he walked away from the offer despite having the chance to receive the money immediately.
The senator claims he also rejected the argument that politicians in the opposition remain critical of the government because they are waiting for financial rewards. He said he had been approached several times with offers to join the government but had refused.
“I’ve been offered money more than four times, not on the airport deal, but on whether I should join government and what I should do in government,” Onyonka said.
He said his decision was also shaped by concerns about the people behind the alleged offer and what could happen if he accepted the money.
“Not that I was a saint, but you have to figure out who gives you money. There are people who give you money; they blow your effing head off,” he said.
Onyonka said he therefore had to weigh the financial offer against the possible danger it could expose his family to.
“So I had to make a choice between whether I’m going to keep my children and hide in a hole until all that money is eaten, or you take people’s money and go and hide with it, and they come and kill all of them. What would you do if you were a normal human being?”
He said his decision was not meant to present himself as morally superior, but rather as a choice between money and what he considered more important.
“You take care of your children because that is the only thing you are left you leave behind, which is worthy,” he said.
The senator's claims come at a time when allegations of financial offers to lawmakers have again become part of the political debate, with several politicians claiming they were approached with money or incentives in connection with key political decisions.
In July 2026, Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo claimed that alleged Kenya Kwanza operatives offered him Sh10 million to vote in favour of the impeachment of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua in October 2024.
Maanzo said he rejected the alleged offer and further claimed that threats accompanied the demand.
Gachagua had also claimed in 2024 that some lawmakers were offered Sh5 million each alongside other incentives to support his impeachment.
He named Kirinyaga Woman Representative Njeri Maina and Senator James Murango among those he said had been approached and declined the offers.
In August 2026, civil society groups called for investigations into claims that lawmakers were bribed during the impeachment process involving Gachagua.
The groups cited allegations made by several politicians, including Onyonka and Maanzo, as they pushed for investigations into the claims.
Other allegations involving financial inducements have also emerged in Kenyan politics.
In 2025, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka alleged that Members of County Assembly in Trans Nzoia were being offered Sh5 million to support an impeachment motion against Governor George Natembeya.
According to the allegation, Sh2 million was to be paid upfront, while the remaining Sh3 million would be given after the vote.
Onyonka's latest claim has added another dimension to the wider debate over money, political loyalty and alleged attempts to influence elected leaders.
With the 2027 General Election approaching, the Kisii senator's account places renewed focus on the claims by politicians that large sums of money are sometimes used in efforts to change political positions or influence decisions.