As debate over the legitimacy of his coronation continues to rage on, National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi has dared MPs seeking to remove him to make their best shot.
Speaking to the press on Sunday, June 6, Muturi noted that he had not heard any lawmakers plotting to eject him but challenged them to go ahead.
He further disclosed that he would stay put since he had spent more years in politics than a majority of the lawmakers.
"There is no impeachment of the speaker. The only option is for the Parliament to pass a vote of no confidence. We have the rules that are supposed to be followed and they are open. Whoever will hit the threshold should try.
"Some of us have been in this business for many years and some people who served for two terms are claiming that they want to impeach me. I have not heard anyone saying that," stated the speaker.
Muturi was responding to reports that a section of the August House was looking to impeach him following the fallout from both elders and leaders over his coronation as Mt Kenya spokesperson.
So serious was the fallout that two factions of Kikuyu elders cleansed the Mukuruwe wa Nyagathanga shrine on Friday, June 4 - a week after a ceremony was conducted to coronate the National Assembly speaker Justin Muturi.
The two factions from the Kikuyu council of elders and Kiama Kia Ma, spent three hours at the shrine where they are said to have held prayers and performed a sacrifice in a bid to sanctify the shrine.
Dominic Njenga, who is the lead cultural priest, stated that the aim of cleansing the shrine was to cleanse it from anything unholy that could have been there.
On May 22, 2021, the National Assembly speaker was coronated in the presence of elders from all regions of Mt Kenya.
The coronation followed an eight-day seclusion in his house. During this time, he was only allowed to see a few elders who have undergone cleansing and only ate a special diet.
He noted that he was ready to take over the mantle as the next Mt Kenya spokesman after President Uhuru Kenyatta's retirement in 2022.
What it takes to remove a speaker.
According to the Constitution, the speaker is considered an ex-officio member of the House and the seat can only be declared vacant if the holder vacates after he is declared of unsound mind, bankrupt, misses eight consecutive sittings without proper explanation or is imprisoned for at least six months.
Alternatively, the seat may be declared vacant when the relevant House votes with at least two-thirds of its members expressing a lack of confidence in its occupant.
The holder can, as well, opt to resign from the position by writing to the Clerk of the respective House.
