Raila says 1.2 million signatures collected so far 'to remove Ruto'

He spoke in Nairobi during the launch of a digital signature collection platform to supplement his ambitious plan which he says will withdraw delegated powers and culminate into a referendum to impeach President Ruto.  

“We thank the 1.2 million people who have signed so far,” Odinga told a press conference after unveiling the portal dubbed ‘Tumechoka’.

Odinga said the digital platform will run alongside the physical signature collection and complement the other avenues the opposition embarked on to air their grievances, including civil disobedience, tax boycott and defiance.

“Kenya Kwanza has questioned where we will take the signatures and the legality of the exercise. We don’t expect them to understand; they don’t understand the people’s power as of now, but with time they will do,” he said.

Accusing President Ruto of “deliberate attempts to make life unbearable to the majority of Kenyans,” the opposition leader said the weekly anti-government protests which kicked off last week will go on countrywide.

“Kamukunji will not be confined to Nairobi. It will be everywhere Kenyans gather in the name of justice,” he said.

Announcing the commencement of the signature drive at Kamukunji grounds in Nairobi on Friday, Odinga quoted Article 1, clauses One and Two of the Constitution.

But the Constitution says a president can only be ousted by way of the Parliament and only two grounds; impeachment and incapacity.

In the case of impeachment, a legislator, supported by at least a third of all MPs, moves a motion for impeachment on three grounds.

They include a gross violation of a provision of the Constitution or of any other law, serious reasons for believing that the President has committed a crime under national or international law or for gross misconduct.

In the case of incapacity, this will be on grounds of either mental or physical incapacity hindering the head of state from performing their duties.