Speaker Wetangula approves impeachment motion against Agriculture CS Linturi

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi could be the first close ally of President William Ruto to be kicked out of Cabinet after Speaker Moses Wetangula allowed an impeachment motion against him.

The motion by Bumula Member of Parliament Jack Wamboka seeks to throw Linturi out of Cabinet for gross misconduct, gross violation of the Constitution and committing a crime under national law.

While giving a nod to the motion, Speaker Wetangula was satisfied that it met all the requirements of the law and the standing orders, and allowed MP Wamboka to move the motion of impeachment.

“Consequently the grounds for dismissal of the Agriculture CS as contained in the proposed motion comply with the requirements of standing order 641a and 66,” Wetangula ruled.

“In view of the foregoing, the proposed special motion meets the applicable procedural requirement for it to be admitted to the next stage.”

According to the Speaker’s ruling, the House is supposed to dispose of the motion within 7 days after it has been moved, and warned that if this doesn’t happen, then it will be deemed to have collapsed.

The members are now scheduled to debate the motion on Thursday after Bumula MP moved the impeachment motion amid cheer from the members.

During the debate, the House will be required to agree if they will form a committee of 11 members to investigate the CS and determine if he is guilty of the charges preferred against him.

According to Speaker Wetangula, the committee will be formed if 117 MPs vote in the affirmative, and the committee will have 10 days to investigate the matter before they report to the House.

“The Select Committee shall within 10 days report to the assembly whether it finds the allegations against the Cabinet Secretary to be substantiated or otherwise. If the Select Committee report finds that the allegations are unsubstantiated, no further proceedings are taken thereafter,” read part of the Speaker’s ruling.

“However, if the Select Committee report finds that the allegations are substantiated, the House is required to afford the CS an opportunity to be heard and a vote whether to approve a resolution requiring dismissal of the Cabinet Secretary.”

While moving the motion, Wamboka was confident that he has enough evidence to sink the CS and recommend to the President his removal from office.

While urging members to turn up in large numbers on Thursday, Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi said the motion is the last resort Kenyans can take to make sure those that are in power are accountable.

“Today I am a very happy man, you have made history and you have put this House on the pedestal of a transformative institution that adheres to the rule of law and constitutionalism,” Wandayi said on the floor of the House.

“This motion is the last resort that the people of this country through their elected leadership can take as a way of holding to account those that have been put in service of the nation. I appeal to colleague members to turn in large members so that we can speak in one voice, we can speak for the defenseless Kenyans.”