Khalwale joins ‘Linturi Must Go’ troop, blames graft on weak governance » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 27 — Senate Majority Whip Boni Khalwale has jointed lawmakers rooting for the removal of Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi from office, blaming corruption on what he termed as weak governance.

Khalwale asserted that the status quo has allowed corrupt and unfit individuals to occupy public offices, a factor that has greatly disadvantaged Kenyans owing to scandals such as the substandard fertilizer saga at the centre of Linturi’s woes.

”There must be something fundamentally wrong with our government system because it is that wrong governance system that allows people who are saboteurs and conmen to distribute these (fertilizer) to members of the public,” Khalwale said on Saturday.

The Kakamega Senator called on Linturi’s ouster for failing to manage the fertilizer subsidy programme.

Khalwale’s remarks came just days after Bumula Member of Parliament Jack Wamboka filed a notice of motion to impeach Linturi.

The motion which is supported by 110 legislators cites gross violation of the constitution and criminal negligence under the Penal Code among grounds for Linturi’s removal.

In the motion filed on Thursday, Wamboka said Linturi failed to ensure effective oversight of the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) through which the government rolled out the subsidy initiative.

The petitioner accused Linturi of exposing farmers to fraudsters who have hoodwinked.

He insisted that the quest for the removal of the Cabinet Secretary is not political or a witch-hunt.

“I firmly believe that the gravity of these allegations demand swift and decisive action as elected representatives. It’s our duty to hold public officers accountable and to safeguard the interests of the people that we serve,” Wamboka noted.

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