Ruto calls and warns URP lawmakers on Waiguru Motion

Deputy President William Ruto personally called URP MPs who had joined forces with the Opposition to impeach Devolution CS Anne Waiguru and ordered them to back down.

Mr Ruto’s major concern, we established, was that the motion could assume a life of its own once before the House and serve to breed mistrust with President Uhuru Kenyatta’s TNA who would likely see him as the puppeteer.

Separate interviews with the affected MPs reveal that Mr Ruto, before leaving for Uganda on Thursday, ordered them to write to the National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi informing him they no longer wanted to edge Ms Waiguru out.

One of the MPs told the Sunday Nation that the second in command demanded to know why they blindly wanted to “fall prey to the enemy force” and distabilise the ruling coalition.

“To him (DP) we are ingrates. What is absurd about it however is the fact that ours was an honest push to have Ms Waiguru take responsibility for the sleaze in her ministry. It is now a Cord versus Jubilee contests,” the lawmaker lamented.

INTERNAL FEUD
MPs Oscar Sudi (Kapseret), Justice Kipsang Kemei (Sigowet/Soin), Silas Tiren (Moiben) and Samburu West MP Lati Lelelit succumbed to the pressure from their party leader.

Mr Ruto reportedly told them that the fact that “no mainstream” TNA MP was supporting the motion would make it a URP verses TNA contest.

Igembe South MP Mithika Linturi is the only TNA lawmaker who has signed the motion which has attracted overwhelming support of the Cord MPs.

“He said we had taken on the wrong kind of assignment. To him, we wanted to breed unnecessary internal feud within Jubilee,” an MP said.

But not all of the politicians who have signed up in support of the motion heeded the DP’s call. 

The ever defiant Kuresoi South MP Zakayo Cheruiyot, Emurua-Dikirr MP Johana Ng’eno, Kapenguria MP Samuel Moroto and Mr Ronald Tonui of Bomet Central are still putting their feet down.

Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter (URP) says the development has left him with 92 lawmakers.

The law requires that an MP who wants to impeach a Cabinet secretary must marshal a minimum of 88 members to have it debated.

THE MATCH IS ON
Interestingly, a parallel initiative by Cord to impeach President Kenyatta appears to have come to Ms Waiguru’s rescue as it meant more attention and resources mobilised to contain the two moves.

Jubilee has deployed its key lieutenants led by Majority leaders Aden Duale and Kithure Kindiki to defeat the bill with reports emerging that State House was co-ordinating every beat of strategy to nip both motions in the bud.

Whereas Jubilee is confident of shooting down the motions given their numerical advantage in Parliament, they are working round the clock to deny the Opposition a chance to “embarrass” the President in the House.

Before Mr Ruto swung into action, Mr Duale had met the politicians and reportedly cautioned them against the mission.

He, in no uncertain terms reminded them that they would be auctioning away their “young political careers” by censuring the Cabinet secretary.

Pointedly, this is the second time MPs are trying to impeach Ms Waiguru. Last year, Mr Linturi spared the minister and later told Sunday Nation that the President had prevailed upon him to change his mind.

But Mr Keter insists the match is on.