Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter now claims 41 more MPs have signed up for his motion to impeach Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru over claims of financial irregularities and corruption against her office.
Addressing a news conference at Parliament Buildings in Nairobi yesterday, Keter said he now had 129 signatures of MPs backing the motion and he was likely to hit the 150 mark before the National Assembly, currently on recess, resumes its sittings due to the new revelations of overpriced goods.
"Many others are still calling me. They want to know where the list is so that they can come and sign. Next week I will issue the notice and hopefully after three days I will have the chance to table documents on the irregularities in the resettlement of IDPs (internally displaced people), and the misappropriation in the Ministry of Devolution," said Keter.
Keter said the new set of MPs had called him "all night and all morning" yesterday seeking to add their signatures to the list of 90 lawmakers who had signed up to kick the CS out of office for over abuse of funds.
He added that of the 41 lawmakers, 30 were from "Central Kenya and Upper Eastern", hitherto a political bastion of the ruling Jubilee coalition in the National Assembly.
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National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale had said no Jubilee MP will sign the new list, but with the new cloud of extravagant spending in the docket revealed on Tuesday, there was a rush to join the team to kick out Waiguru.
"All these things that are happening in this ministry tell us that the time has come for the Cabinet Secretary to step aside," said Keter.
He said even without the backing of legislators from his backyard in the Rift Valley, he will not be distracted "from his cause to protect the taxpayers' money lost through corruption". "The impeachment process is not easy and needs prayers for us to succeed. I will stand for the interest of the citizens because institutions including the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission have failed."
Keter spoke as it emerged from a list published yesterday that of the 88 lawmakers who have signed in support of the motion that seeks Waiguru's impeachment, only six - him included- are from the Rift Valley.
They include Ronald Tonui (Bomet Central), Johanna Ngeno (Emurua Dikirr), Samuel Moroto (Kapenguria), Zakayo Cheruiyot (Kuresoi) and Wesley Korir (Cherangany).
Keter claimed that he has the goodwill of MPs but said "they have been intimidated".
Yesterday, MPs from Keter's backyard were under heavy criticism from some callers to a Kalenjin vernacular radio station for not supporting the legislator's cause against graft.
