Linturi impeachment motion sails through crucial first stage » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya, May 2 — National Assembly has approved the special motion to impeach Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi in a heated debate that caused fireworks in the House.
The motion tabled on Thursday met the required threshold of 117 members after garnering the support of 149 MPs while 36 voted against it paving way for the motion sponsored by Bumula MP Jack Wamboka to advance to the next stage.
Parliamentary parties which include Kenya Kwanza Alliance, Azimio and Jubilee Party are expected to forward six, four and one name respectively which will form the Select Committee.
Thursdays vote advancing the impeachment motion to the committee stage came amid fierce opposition from Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah who argued the ouster bid impedes the fight against corruption.
“Wamboka has completely has failed to show us the nexus between the allegations that he was speaking about and the person he seeks to remove from office. Indeed, in his own submission he has alluded to issues touching on procurement and distribution of fertilizer by the NCPB,” he stated.
‘Decoy’
The Majority Leader claimed the ouster campaign against Linturi was designed as a decoy to ensure those culpable are not called to account.
“Wamboka is calling on this house to make a political declaration in the impeachment of a CS but gets absolutely no value in the fight against corruption,” he said while rooting for a House inquiry into the distribution of substandard fertilizer under the government subsidy program.
Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi agitated for the impeachment of CS Linturi saying the allegations tabled against him warrant his removal for failing farmers and exposing them to sub-standard products.
“Linturi by now should have actually voluntarily resigned. Failure to do so, the appointing authority who is the President of the Republic of Kenya should have taken the most logical action and fired,” Wandayi stated.
He urged lawmakers to act decisively on the matter.
“And because both Linturi and the President have failed to do what the Constitution requires them to do, this house has got a duty to take this CS home,” Wandayi remarked.
Deputy Minority Leader Robert Mbui said MPs who vote against Linturi’s impeachment must be recalled by the electorate.
“I want you to note that whatever we are doing here, all Kenyan farmers have left their farms and they are watching us,”Mbui said.
Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo argued the back stops with Linturi.
“First of all, should the CS take responsibility for the motion and the issue at hand? The answer is YES.Why? Because we have it on his own authority. The document attached dated March 24th signed by him says ‘the ministry ensures that agricultural produce are of the right quality’, if it is the ‘Ministry’ who is the head of Ministry?” Amollo retorted.
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