PARLIAMENT TO IMPEACH THE FOLLOWING POLITICIAN

Deputy President William Ruto’s “takeover” of Parliament by having the two Speakers on his side has triggered fireworks that now threatens to paralyse the House.

Just a week after signing a political deal with Ruto, National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi is increasingly finding it difficult to steer the House.

There are speculations that an impeachment motion could be on the cards, but both Muturi and the Ruto brigade have dared critics to bring it on.

Muturi has suddenly become an unapologetic critic of President Uhuru Kenyatta, making him a target of pro-handshake troops in Parliament.

In the Senate, Speaker Kenneth Lusaka is also supporting Ruto’s presidential bid-being a member of Ford Kenya-one of the affiliate parties in Kenya Kwanza.

With the two Speakers on Ruto’s side, government business could easily be frustrated as Kenya heads to the polls in 114 days.

Lusaka has however remained guarded in his dealings with Ruto and is yet to issue any statement against the government.

Last week, he is said to have given a wide berth to a function at Ruto’s Karen residence where he was supposed to be unveiled as the joint Kenya Kwanza gubernatorial candidate for Bungoma.

MPs allied to President Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga have openly declared their mistrust towards Muturi, saying they cannot trust his judgement after his deal with Ruto.

“We have a feeling we might not get fair treatment in the House. Now that he is the leader of the Democratic Party, how is he going to balance those interests?” Suna East MP Junet Mohamed asked.

The Minority Whip said they had “never doubted the speaker’s impartiality until they saw him signing an agreement with Kenya Kwanza.”

Muturi engaged in a bitter exchange with Wajir Woman Representative Fatuma Gedi on Thursday as she tabled what she says is evidence that Ruto is a land grabber.

The sitting turned into a shouting match between the handshake and pro-Ruto allies that forced Muturi to prematurely end the session.

The Speaker had ordered Embakasi East MP Babu Owino out of Parliament, but the defiant lawmaker did not move an inch, and was shielded from orderlies by colleagues.

Pro-handshake side have vowed they will not take unjustified orders.

Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni told the Star on Friday that they feel the Speaker “aided in all manner of ways, the formation of UDA on the floor of the House.”

“He has not been impartial in his guiding of the House. If you look at the amount of time he allocates to those who support UDA, 75 per cent goes to UDA-leaning MPs,” the Jubilee secretary general said.

The party, he said, has no plans for a vote of no confidence against the Speaker, who has remained adamant that no amount of pressure would make him quit.

“The speaker before you is unwilling to resign. I will continue to serve you as long as you desire. Any of you is at liberty to take the route of Article 106 of the Constitution if you feel I am not serving you well,” Muturi told MPs during the stormy Thursday sitting.

Centre of Multiparty Democracy executive director Franklin Mukhwanja told the Star the Speaker was in a paradoxical position.

“A Speaker is the third most powerful position. So, if leaving for the presidency, it will probably be a good thing but playing politics before the end of term presents some difficulty.”

“Our model of democracy is premised on a majority and minority. For you to be a speaker, you have to go to the majority, which has high expectations.”

Mukhwanja said the circumstances beg the question of, “Would it be better to further look at the procedure of the Speaker getting into office, staying in office, and leaving office – to where (which seat)?”

Pro-handshake MPs feel the Speaker needs a ‘thorough soul-searching on whether he has the capacity and moral standing to guide the House’ amid his links with Ruto.

“He has shown the wrong example of leadership in this country. You cannot defect from the party that sponsored you and continue arbitrating on matters,” Kioni said.

Majority leader Amos Kimunya said the Speaker was faced with a big test in the days to come following the ‘unprecedented events’.

“I agree there is the feeling that he is not being impartial and unfortunately now has to constantly prove impartiality, which he did not have to if he maintained his independence as was envisioned by the framers of the Constitution,” the Kipipiri MP said.

A Speaker is the third powerful position. So, if leaving for presidency, it will probably be a good thing, but playing politics before end of term presents some difficulty.

CMD Executive Director Franklin Mukhwanjaa

“For instance, when there is no quorum, he can’t even see. He is supposed to be alerted by a member. His job is to arbitrate the two sides and is there to chair proceedings of the House,” Kimunya added.

MPs have taken a month-long break. It is expected there would be fireworks when they resume on May 10 following the unfinished business of the Ruto land grab.

Some quarters, however, held that the events were not new and that the speakership has made political decisions in the past, and many times pushed by the majority side to compromise neutrality.

Pundits cited the security laws, incessant supremacy wars with the Senate, the fuel tax (though Muturi wasn’t in the chair), and that he has for long let the majority party (Jubilee) misuse the National Assembly.

Rarieda MP Otiende Amolo said since the Speaker “has found it fit to take sides with Ruto, it makes it difficult for him to come to conclusion on matters touching on the DP.”

“The provision of Article 90 on conflict of interest applies. We are all required to declare conflict of interest including personal relationships,” Amolo said in push for Muturi to recuse himself.

His Nyando counterpart Jared Okello said, “The ink is yet to dry on his association with Kenya Kwanza. It was expected there would be a hue and cry. We saw how he derailed Gedi and terminated proceedings before time.”

But Muturi maintained that he has no knowledge of any Speaker, since Independence, who was elected as an independent.

“All speakers have been sponsored by political parties and have presided over proceedings of the House regardless of the sponsoring party,” the Speaker said, citing the case of Uganda and Tanzania.

Ruto’s allies Aden Duale (Garissa Township MP) and Kikuyu’s Kimani Ichung’wa came to the defence of the Speaker.

“He has no apologies to make to anyone. ODM brigade never elected Muturi. They did not give him the vote so they have no powers to remove him,” Duale said.

“Joining a coalition party is not part of the reasons for removal within the reading of Article 106 of the Constitution. When he sits on the chair, he neither does so on behalf of Kenya Kwanza or the DP party,” the lawmaker added.

Ichung’wa said they would not let the defiance continue.

“When we resume from recess, we expect nothing less than the Speaker taking a firm position not to allow disorder in the House,” the Kikuyu MP said.

Courtesy