A faction of Jubilee Party allied to former President Uhuru Kenyatta, on Thursday, June 8, announced plans to propose a Bill providing grounds for impeaching President William Ruto for interfering with political parties.
Speaking after holding its inaugural National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting since the controversial National Delegates Conference (NDC), Jubilee Party members argued that the Bill would also grant MPs powers to table a motion for the impeachment of Ruto’s deputy, Rigathi Gachagua.
Addressing the media, former Ndaragwa Member of Parliament and embattled Jubilee secretary general, Jeremiah Kioni, alleged that proposals to craft the Bill were informed by Kenya Kwanza’s interference with Jubilee Party affairs.
He argued that the Bill would bring back sanity to political parties after Ruto wooed politicians from the opposition camp, consolidating support in Parliament.
“We want to have a law where, in future, people who hold different positions and interfere with parties just like Ruto, Gachagua and now Wetangula (National Assembly Speaker, Moses Wetangula) face impeachment motions,” Kioni stated.
Kioni argued that the party would lobby its members to support the Bill. However, he acknowledged that they would face a herculean task since Ruto enjoys the majority in Parliament.
“We will try and see if the MPs will pass that Bill. If they fail, others will pass it in Parliament,” Kioni insisted that Jubilee would exploit alternatives should Ruto beat them at their own game.
According to the 2010 promulgated Constitution, a president can be impeached for violating the Constitution, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanours.
Raila on Ruto Interfering With Political Parties
Azimio La Umoja party leader, Raila Odinga, threatened to recall protests if Ruto continued interfering with political parties. This was one of his irreducible minimums before the bipartisan talks with Ruto breaking down.
Raila, who attended Uhuru’s NDC, also accused Ruto of holding the Judiciary and Parliament hostage. The former Prime Minister lost several MPs who decamped to Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza after the August 9, 2022, General Election.
Ousting Chege as Deputy Minority Whip
Azimio la Umoja, on Thursday, June 8, also threatened to file a motion to impeach Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetangula after he declined to approve its motion to oust Chege as the deputy minority whip at the National Assembly.
Led by minority leader Opiyo Wandayi, Azimio accused Wetangula of siding with the majority side in Chege’s ouster debacle.
“Things cannot move in this manner in this House, anymore. We have decided to bring a motion of impeachment against the Speaker of National Assembly, Moses Wetang’ula,” Wandayi warned.
Jubilee Wrangles
Kioni’s faction, aligned with Uhuru, is battling to control Jubilee with a group led by nominated MP Sabina Chege and his East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) counterpart, Kanini Kega.
Sabina Chege was elected the chairperson of the rebel outfit, with Kega claiming that Uhuru was ousted as party leader. The Ruto allied faction also expelled Kioni and embattled Jubilee vice chairperson, David Murathe.
Conversely, Uhuru, in the NDC held at Ngong Race Course on May 22, ratified expelling Kega and Chege from Jubilee.
Jubilee Party’s Internal Disputes Resolution Committee (IDRC), however, ruled that the national delegates conference convened by the former President was null and void. The IDRC was, however, accused of aligning with the Chege-Ruto faction.
“The Respondent (Kenyatta) did not act in accordance with the Party constitution in publishing the notices convening the NEC meeting of 28th April 2023 and the SNDC of 22nd May 2023,” the committee stated.
Registrar of Political Parties, Anne Nderitu, also nullified the resolutions passed at Uhuru’s NDC, arguing that Kioni failed to present necessary documentation, including, a duly signed list of attendance with Identification Numbers (IDs) to ascertain the composition of the NDC and the quorum in line with articles 8.1(1) and 23 of the Jubilee Party (JP) constitution.
Source-https://www.kenyans.co.ke/
