Politicians behind the Kieleweke faction, which claims allegiance to President Uhuru Kenyatta, are behind the new push to amend the executive chapter of the constitution to allow a sitting president to fire his deputy
The move directly targets Deputy President William Ruto, as the legislators want President Uhuru Kenyatta to relieve his deputy off his duties for allegedly being wayward and defiant.
Tiaty MP William Kamket and Jubilee Nominated legislator Maina Kamanda are leading the campaign which will also affect deputy governors, as it seeks to give governors powers to sack their principal assistants.
“If that law was in existence, William Ruto would have been fired five months ago. He does the exact opposite of what the president says. For example, the president is totally against early 2022 campaigns, but that is what the DP is doing. That’s a direct case of defiance,” Kamket stated.
The controversial constitution amendment is part of proposals to be forwarded to the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) with the aim of forming a constitutional question for the referendum.
A section of MPs has, however, termed the move as politically motivated, ill-advised and a waste of time,
The legislators stated that the president and his DP have had a formidable relationship since 2013 when they were first elected into office
“If you ask me, I would say no to it, because we know why we came up with this idea of the president having a running mate, who becomes a DP once they are in office,” Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi defended.
Laikipia Women Representative Catherine Waruguru was also vocal of the matter.
“We want to tell him to tell his sponsors to send him with good threats to the chambers and we will see if he will be in a position to rally the majority of MPs,” the fierce woman rep responded.
“These people are propagating a vision of hate and malice, simply because they have realised they don’t have any other agenda, nor any other strategy for 2022,” Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei dismissed the move.
Under the 2010 promulgated constitution, chapter 150 contemplates the removal of a DP from office, through physical or mental incapacity, impeachment for gross violation of the constitution, gross misconduct or committing a crime.
Ruto has crossed paths with the president's allies, since the March 2018 handshake. His countrywide visits christened development tours have been termed as premature 2022 campaigns by critics.
There have been several proposals touching on corruption, the introduction of PM post in 2022 and anti-church donations that Ruto allies have condemned to be targetting the DP.
