Keter submits motion to impeach Waiguru

What you need to know:

  • Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter told the Nation he had delivered the motion to National Assembly Clerk Justin Bundi on Tuesday afternoon, with 97 MPs having appended their signatures to support it.
  • He took advantage of Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete’s late start of his special address to Parliament to lobby MPs from the Opposition to signal their support for the motion.
  • At least five MPs from the United Republican Party withdrew their signatures after the Jubilee Coalition launched an onslaught on Mr Keter, who has been labelled an Opposition mole and a renegade.

The impeachment motion against Devolution and Planning Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru has been submitted to the Clerk of the National Assembly.

Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter told the Nation he had delivered the motion to National Assembly Clerk Justin Bundi on Tuesday afternoon, with 97 MPs having appended their signatures to support it.

He took advantage of Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete’s late start of his special address to Parliament to lobby MPs from the Opposition to signal their support for the motion.

At least five MPs from the United Republican Party withdrew their signatures after the Jubilee coalition launched an onslaught on Mr Keter, who has been labelled an opposition mole and a renegade.

The High Court has also issued an order barring Parliament from considering any motion to impeach a Cabinet secretary. National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi told MPs on Tuesday that the order would be defied, just like previous ones.

“Matters legislative must be left to Parliament,” he said. “We are an independent arm of government. You cannot tell us not to discuss something because of what someone is doing out there,” he said.

For his part, Mr Keter said the rules that the Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution argues do not offer the Cabinet secretary a fair chance are well grounded.

“Parliament is independent. The courts cannot dictate to us what to do,” he said.