'Ukiachwa achika': Linturi condemned for dragging ex-wife into impeachment motion

As the hearing of the impeachment motion kicked off on Wednesday, Bumula Member of Parliament Jack Wamboka, who is the sponsor of the motion, set the stage for a fiery proceeding by dismissing Linturi's defence as "nothing more than a love letter from a jilted lover."

The Bumula MP told the 11-member select committee hearing that Linturi's insinuation that his ex-wife Maryanne Kitany is behind the push to remove him from office was unfair and detracts from the gravity of the situation.

"I have looked at the document submitted by my good friend Mithika Linturi and it is nothing more than a love letter from a jilted lover. These are grievous matters of national importance to be reduced to love matters. Ukiachwa achika!" asserted Wamboka. "It is unfair to keep dragging the good lady Marianne Kitany into this matter. She has the right ya kukukataa ama kukubali. Allow her to proceed on with her life."

He added: "It should be unfair that your private matters should keep coming up anytime serious matters are raised. The good lady should be left in peace because she has a life, family and needs to move on."

The MP's remarks were echoed by his legal representative, Senior Counsel John Khaminwa, who submitted that Linturi's attempt to attribute the impeachment proceedings to personal matters is unacceptable.

Khaminwa emphasized the need to focus on substantive national issues rather than invoking personal relationships or other irrelevant factors.

"I was reading a response filed before the select committee and the main defence appears to be... that 'what is before the parliament of Kenya dealing with grave national issues is because of my ex-wife. 'My ex-wife is the one bringing trouble'.

"It is unbelievable that you should trivialise a matter of national issue and say it is your ex-wife doing this," said Khaminwa.

He cautioned against invoking irrelevant concepts like love, tribalism, or religion, asserting their irrelevance in the context of the impeachment.

He added: "Let us not invoke mundane concepts of love, tribalism, religion. Those no longer make sense in Kenya in this context at all."

The hearing of the motion will run for three days before the committee chaired by Mrasabit Woman Rep Naomi Waqo retreats to compile a report set to be tabled before a special sitting of the National Assembly on Monday next week.

Wamboka has listed three grounds in the impeachment motion: gross violation of the Constitution or any other law, serious reasons to believe the CS has committed a crime under national law, and gross misconduct.