Uhuru, Ruto allies set for clash over Waititu

The impeachment of Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu is set to open a new front in the supremacy battles between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto in the Senate.

The impeachment comes in the wake of heightened political tension within the ruling Jubilee party, with a pro-Ruto faction under the Tangatanga movement on one side and another faction supporting President Kenyatta, under the Kieleweke banner, on the other.

The Tangatanga brigade has cast aspersions on the fight against graft and accused the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) and Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) of bias against Dr Ruto, as he campaigns for the presidency in 2022.

Dr Ruto in May strongly defended Mr Waititu after the Senate County Public Accounts and Investments Committee questioned him over Sh21 billion audit queries.

BIASED PROSECUTION

Among the activities funded by the Kiambu budget, according to the audit report, was an allocation for coordination of State House functions, South Sudan peace efforts, free primary education and payments of retired presidents with Dr Ruto telling off the committee for asking the governor useless questions.

“Watu wasimuulize Waititu maswali ya bure; yeye aulizwe mambo ya Kiambu County. Ile ya national government sisi tuko na mawaziri wengi wa kujibu. Tuulizwe mambo ya South Sudan, retired presidents and State House, tutajibu. Bibilia inatufudisha kila mtu atabeba msalaba wake. Huyu Baba Yao asiwekewe msalaba ambayo sio yake. Aulizwe ya Kiambu na sisi tuulizwe ya national government,” he said. (People should stop asking Waititu questions that have no basis. He should be asked questions about Kiambu County. We have Cabinet Secretaries to answer queries touching on national government. We should be asked about South Sudan, retired presidents and State House. The Bible tells us that everybody should carry his/her cross. Baba Yao (Mr Waititu) should not be left to carry a cross that is not his.)

Tangatanga leaders have also raised eyebrows over the manner in which the corruption allegations were fought by DCI and DPP, accusing some State officers of trying to silence them for their support for Dr Ruto.

SENATE SUPPORT

Also on the DCI radar is Kandara MP Alice Wahome, who told the Nation in May that the State had revived a civil suit filed in 2012.

She said the case was a witchhunt instigated by the DCI at the behest of State House operatives because of her support for the DP.

Ms Wahome claims leaders affiliated to the DP have been targeted by the State.

She cited Mr Waititu’s woes and wondered why governors in Mt Kenya and Nyanza regions have not been arrested and charged.

In the Senate, Dr Ruto enjoys support from the house leadership through Majority leader Kipchumba Murkomen, his deputy Fatuma Dullo and chief whip Susan Kihika while the President only enjoys support from deputy majority whip Irungu Kang'ata.

Already Mr Murkomen has whipped Senators to cancel their Christmas plans and travel to fight Mr Waititu's impeachment.

“To all Senators, please cancel your Christmas and new year travel plans. Those already out of the country take the next flight back home. Duty calls,” Mr Murkomen tweeted.

OWNING MISTAKES

Kirinyaga Senator Charles Kibiru insists that Mr Waititu’s woes are due to his own shortcomings.

“I don’t think Mr Waititu’s woes are politically instigated. I sit in the CPAIC and the governor has serious fiduciary issues,” he told the Nation.

However, Mr Kang'ata cautions senators that should they allow Tangatanga and Kieleweke wars to take charge, they will ruin the reputation of the Senate.

"Impeachment proceedings before the Senate are quasi-judicial in nature. The Senate looks at evidence and not politics; if we entertain Tangatanga-Kieleweke politics, then we shall be ruining the reputation of the Senate as an impartial and independent body whose fidelity to the law must be its chief objective,” the Senator told the Nation.