Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi, on Tuesday, June 27, claimed that his Kenya Kwanza counterparts were coerced to save Siaya Deputy Governor William Oduol from impeachment.
During an interview on Citizen TV, Osotsi alleged that the lawmakers allied to Ruto confided in him that they opted to reject the allegations levelled against Oduol after receiving express instructions from the State House, Nairobi.
Osotsi alleged that the senators abruptly changed their minds after supporting the motion. He thus argued that they were whipped to vote against the report accusing Oduol of gross misconduct and abuse of office.
The deputy governor was also accused of gross violation of the Constitution by flouting procurement laws, thus misleading the public.
As the debate raged, Osotsi was hard-pressed to reveal the name of the Kenya Kwanza senator who allegedly leaked the info. However, he declined, citing the sensitivity of the issue.
"The Kenya Kwanza teams were called into a meeting, and phone calls were made from State House. They are our friends, and we talk to them.
"I was in an Azimio senators meeting and a senior member of the majority side walked in as we usually take a bipartisan approach and said that they would not vote that way. The senator stated that there were under express instructions to lobby the lawmakers in a certain way," he claimed.
In response to Osotsi's unproven claims, Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka expressed that the contentious phone calls were common as party leaders often lobby their allies to support specific initiatives.
National Assembly Deputy Speaker Gladys Shollei concurred with Onyonka but criticised Azimio for what she argued was making unsubstantiated allegations tantamount to wild imaginations.
She asserted that Ruto was occupied with state duties to shift his focus on a petty feud between the Siaya governor, James Orengo and his deputy.
"I am alarmed at the allegations made by Senator Osotsi. It is reckless to say that there were calls from State House. I am just thinking about the President's schedules from the Safari Rally to Paris, Thika, and Kajiado. He is packed, and everybody knows that.
"To even think that he will make a phone call over an impeachment of a deputy governor is stretching the imagination a little too far," she stated.
Following the Senate's decision to nullify the Oduol's impeachment, Kenya Kwanza senators led by Samson Cherargei of Nandi clarified that they opted to vote in favour of Governor James Orengo's deputy due to his status as a whistleblower.
He indicated they would vehemently support and protect state officials who expose graft in the counties. Oduol, he claimed, was sacrificed for raising the alarm on graft contrary to being accused of corruption.
"He was the whistleblower who needed protection. And just like the Finance Bill 2023, we crashed and exonerated the Azimio la Umoja. That is the same knife we used to destroy Azimio la Umoja.
"We will not allow Azimio to sabotage the agenda of the government on the floor of the House. We shall not entertain politics on the floor of the House," he stated.
Conversely, Oduol extended an olive branch to Orengo, indicating that he would seek the help of elders to broker a truce with his boss.
