Ruto survives censure motion

• MPs vote to throw out censure motion against Agriculture minister William Ruto.

• 119 MPs vote against motion, while 22 support it.

• Only 44 MPs absent from the vote.

Kenya's Parliament has voted to throw out a censure motion against Agriculture minister William Ruto over his role on the maize scandal.

MPs have overwhelmingly voted against the motion with 119 nays, while 22 have supported it.

Four MPs absented from the vote.

Below are proceedings that preceded the vote:

19:16 “Consequently, the motion is lost.”

19: 15 Speaker Maalim says as a result of the division, the nays have it.

19:13 Only 4 MPs absent from the vote.

19:12 Kamukunji MP Simon Mbugua announces the results of the division: 119 against, 22 for.

19: 10 Deputy Speaker Maalim calls the House to order.

18: 45 Speaker directs those who support the motion to move to the right and those opposing it move to the left. Those who absent should record their vote with the Clerk, he says.

18: 43 MPs who will be tellers for ayes side are Mr Affey and Mr Mbugua, while for the nays are Mr Kones  and Mr Lekuton.

18:40 Speaker Maalim calls the House to order.

18:33 Parliament goes to a division.

18:32 A section of MPs say they want a division and the Speaker rules in the favour.

18:30 The Speaker rules that the nays have it.

18:29 MPs vote for the motion through acclamation

18: 28 Mr Maalim repeats the question: …….Given the way the minster has handled the purchase of maize from NCPB …..Kenyans have succumbed to death and left 10 million people starving, that the House moves to censure the minister and express it has no confidence in him and demands his immediate resignation.

18:25 Dr Khalwale says should the outcome of the vote show the motion’s defeat it will reflect unity of the MPs on corruption.

18:23 A brief exchange between Ms Karua and Mr Murungi ensues but the Speaker intervenes by calling on the mover to reply.

18: 20 He says the country is not fighting corruption by using politicians "to beat down opponents and destroy the careers of those we don’t like."

18: 18 He says that it if Mr Ruto is found guilty he should go to jail but opposes the notion of politicians being used to settle scores.

18: 15 To support his assertion by giving the example of Anglo Leasing where he was grilled by Parliament and Kacc and exonerated, but still carries the cross due to political responsibility.

18: 13 He says motion is not about fighting corruption but about a political scheme and a gross abuse of the House.

18:10 Kiraitu Murungi (Imenti North) says the motion is being supported on the doctrine of taking political responsibility, which he says it amounts to political lynching.

18:05 He says there are many reasons why a government official should resign, including being let down by the government one serves.

18:02 Kilemi Mwiria (Tigania) stands to support the motion and says resignation should be a matter of integrity saying that people have enriched themselves through graft.

17: 59 He says that he has served Kenyans dutifully in his capacity as Agriculture minister and if here were guilty he would step aside immediately. He rests his case.

17: 55 He tables a list of millers who bought maize from the NCPB, detailing that 94pc of those were big millers, 5pc small millers, and the rest were NGOs, schools and individual Kenyans.

17:53 He says that the annual statement of NCPB shows that SGR had 1.6 millionbags that it sold contradicting Dr Khalwale’s assertion ion the House that the reserves had 2.6 million bags.

17:52 Mr Ruto says his company, Amaco, has had no dealings over the purchase of maize.

17:50 He tables a document form the Special Programmes ministry confirming sale of the maize.

17:49 The Minister says that there is a serious allegation made in public of a loss of Sh850m loss, occasioned by disappearance of 48,000 bags of maize which has not been reported to the police but was in the press.

17:47 He says that the Finance ministry carried out an audit of the supposed irregular sale and he tables the report as evidence.

17: 45 He says his actions do not reflect those of one with something to hide.

17:43 Mr Ruto says that he instructed his PS to write to Kacc over allegations of maize being sold to high ranking government officials and businessmen.

17:40 He says he took it upon himself to gazette the ban of importation of maize as the country was facing shortage.

17:38 He says that he answered questions over the SGR due to Cabinet's collective responsibility and challenges those asking political responsibility to direct their queries to the concerned ministry.

17:36 Mr Ruto says Strategic Grain Reserves is not under his ministry but is under that of Special Programmes under the Office of the President.

17:35 He says that he relayed his concern to President Kibaki over the reserves and he agreed to double the amount to eight million bags.

17:32 Mr Ruto says that he shares with Kenyans their hunger and he got the following brief: Strategic Grain Reserves were at four million bags, that 3.5 million bags were destroyed during the post-election violence and due to rising cost of fertliser and fuel farmers could not go to the fields.

17: 30 Agriculture minister William Ruto stands to contribute to the motion

17: 28 Ms Karua says President and PM have final card on political responsibility but the House has still a role to play and begs to support the motion.

17:26 She says that her ministry passed with flying by bringing the Bill to Parliament and that her single vote as member for Gichugu could not pass the motion.

17: 24 An MP says that since Ms Karua has talked of political responsibility then she should be accountable for the failure of the Special Tribunal Bill in Parliament.

17:20 She says that Parliament has passed the Public Officer Ethics Act and questions whether the House should feign ignorance of the law it passed.

17:18 Martha Karua (Gichungu) stands to support the motion and says that members must account to the people as a basis of political responsibility and not criminality.

17: 15 Chachu Ganya (North Horr) opposes the motion and says as a member of PAC the committee has never discussed substantively the issue.

17:09 He says the House should address institutional failures and stop personalising issues. It is time Parliament regained its sanity, he has said.

17.:05 Omingo Magara (South Mugirango) says as a past chair of a House Committee he has never used his position to bring falsehoods to Parliament.

17:02  He says that for those who have died and those facing hunger he supports the motion.

16: 55 Mr Kiunjuri says that the fight is to regain the country’s moral authority saying Kenyans will see for themselves who is going to support corruption by defeating the motion.

16:50 Naivasha MP John Mututho, in his contribution, says the country needs 36 million bags per year for consumption.

He adds that since the maize in question is 10,000 bags, which is a minimal percentage that cannot have lead to the maize shortage in the country.

16:48 Mr Maalim poses the question: Given the way the minster has handled the purchase of maize from NCPB …..Kenyans have succumbed to death and left 10 million people starving, that the House moves to censure the minister and express it has no confidence in him and demands his immediate resignation.

He then invites members to contribute.

16:45 Dr Eseli condemns leaders saying they have decided to run roughshod over the hunger of our voters.

He asks whether it was in order for the cereal boards can trade on subsidised maize meant to feed the hungry in this country

He says that Mr Ruto, being aware that there would be food shortage he should have made arrangements to import additional bags of maize on time. He then moved to second the motion.

16:40 Dr Eseli says that the minister misled the House when he made a personal statement on the sacking of NCPB managers.

16: 39 “I believe that was misleading the House.”

16: 38 He adds that the sackings were as a result of a previous report.

16:37 Eseli Simiyu (Kimilili) seconds the motion.

He says that hunger and starvation difficult one of most agonising death to suffer is one of starvation that Kenyans are facing.

16:34 MP Mwangi Kiunjuri says Dr Khalwale has been unable to adequately move his motion due to numerous interruptions and asked for the Chair's guidance.

16:33 Speaker Maalim says he will use his judicious decision to invite contributions from MPs who catch his eye.

16:32 MP Alago Olouch rises on a point of order and says that Dr Khalwale should use parliamentary language.

16: 30 Nominated MP Musa Sirma demands that Dr Khalwale apologise and withdraw for his remarks that Prime Minister Raila Odinga is involved in the export of maize to South Sudan, without substantiating.

16:28 Mr Maalim rules that Dr Khalwale apologise for his allegations and he has done so.

16:27 Dr Khalwale says Kenyans are angry as they starve due to the disappearance of maize from NCPB’s stores adding that the House should play its role as the public watchdog.

16:25 He challenges Mr Ruto to say whether he is innocent and if so to answer the question: "Where is the maize?"

16:23 MPs raise on numerous points of order to question Dr Khalwale's motive.

16:21 Chepalungu MP Isaac Ruto says Dr Khalwale was using newspaper reports to base his evidence on Mr Ruto’s complicity over the scandal.

Deputy Speaker Farah Maalim rules that cuttings are inadmissible in the House.

16:20 Ikolomani MP Bonny Khalwale moves the motion saying he has done so because the maize issue has led to unprecedented rise in food prices and a declaration of national disaster made over the issue.

He adds Kenyans  have succumbed to death and a further 10 million are starving.

He says Mr Ruto has contravened provisions such as the Public Officer Ethics Act, NCPB Act, Standing Orders and Privileges Act in his conduct over the maize scandal.

16:16 Kenya’s Parliament is debating a censure motion on Agriculture minister William Ruto over his role in the maize scandal.