ODM MPs give Raila conditions to support Ruto impeachment

ODM leader Raila Odinga addresses residents of Turkana County in Kakuma Town. [Emmanuel Wanson, Standard]

Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) legislators laid down firm demands to the party leader Raila Odinga for them to support the impeachment of Deputy President William Ruto as it emerged the plans were being rejigged.

The Sunday Standard has learned that proponents of the impeachment, though led by the Amani National Congress (ANC) party lawmaker, are top Jubilee leadership who are not happy with DP’s defiance politics.

Fresh plan

The team led by the handshake allies is expected to hold a meeting this weekend to concretise on the Ruto impeachment plans ahead of the reopening of Parliament on Tuesday after a long break.

A committee has raised the 16 grounds that they hope to firm up to at least five to six issues that will meet the threshold of the requirement, according to Article 150 of the Constitution.

There have been two mooted attempts at impeaching the DP but this third attempt was initiated a month ago at a hotel in Kisumu on the eve of the funeral of ANC party leader Musalia Mudavadi, Mama Hannah Mudavadi.

The top Jubilee leadership on Friday, sources claim, contacted Raila persuading him to rally his troops in National Super Alliance (Nasa) to ensure the bid to kick out Ruto sails through. The communication prompted Raila, who was on a three-day tour of Turkana County, to call an urgent meeting yesterday morning with ODM MPs who had accompanied him to rally their support.

It is reported that ODM, through Raila, was tasked to nominate a member to a ‘secret committee’ already constituted to strategise on the impeachment process ahead of the House resumption.

However, in the meeting, it emerged from the majority of the MPs, according sources privy to the tense morning meeting, were reluctant to take part in this process that might fail and leave them with eggs on their faces.

The Sunday Standard established that the MPs placed demands to Raila that they can only participate in a foolproof exercise they are sure they will raise the requisite numbers.

“We told him (Raila) that we must be guaranteed of the two-thirds numbers that will ensure the impeachment succeeds. We do not want to attempt something that we will backfire,” said the MP.

The source said the MPs remained adamant and told Raila to his face that they reject his request to support the Savula motion, and they have no problem if it was a member of the Jubilee Party moving it and has a blessing of Uhuru.

The MPs are reported to have told former Prime Minister that they will not append their signatures on a motion sponsored by a person who cannot convince members.

Even the proposal to have a representative to the ‘private committee’ that would fine-tune the grounds for the motion and rally support was also shot down by the ODM MPs.

The Orange lawmakers also raised issues with the loyalty of the Jubilee’s Kieleweke brigade which they claim have turned to be Ruto sympathisers. They were just shielding themselves and buying time in the Uhuru and Raila camp.

Savula exuding confidence when he spoke to the Sunday Standard that his motion enjoyed the support of ‘powers that be’ and would sail through.

“It is not a Savula-sponsored motion. There are bigger people, I am just a messenger,” Lugari MP said.

Amani National Congress(ANC) Deputy Party Leader Ayub Savula. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

He said that he will on Tuesday write to the Speaker of the National Assembly Justin Muturi specifying his intention and the grounds for the impeachment.

“We currently have 16 grounds, we want to see if we will put all of them or refine them into a smaller number but watertight,” said Savula.

Former Majority Leader Aden Duale yesterday dismissed the impeachment move and took on Savula, accusing him of hawking the impeachment for self-aggrandizement.

Mr Duale said the procedure of the removal of a president and deputy president is a serious business anchored in Article 144, 145 and 150 of the Constitution, and can only be executed by serious people, not the likes of Savula.

According to Savula, among the grounds are alleged are corruption, Weston Hotel land grab, disrespecting the President and waging a tribal and class incitement war among Kenyans.

Old signatures

“We already have 126 signatures which were collected during the planned removal of Duale as Majority Leader, since they were not letter-headed neither were they dated. We are have spoken with the MPs who signed to acknowledge their signatures,” said Savula.

However, Kieni MP Kanini Kega who spearheaded the collection of the signatures for Duale removal in June 2020 denied knowledge of the planned use of the signatures, saying that they are ‘stale’.

“The signatures were for one specific purpose and cannot be used again. We have to collect fresh signatures. When the bell will be rang, I would not hesitate to do the same and make it public,” said Kega, an Uhuru ally.

Savula said Ruto should resign before the impeachment motion to avoid embarrassment.

 Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu said there are many grounds to justify the impeachment of the DP but the party is yet to deliberate on the same and take a position.

“There are many justifiable reasons for the DP’s removal like sabotaging the president’s policies, allowing his allies to insult the president, fielding candidates from other parts and celebrating Jubilee loss,” said Ngunjiri.

He added: “The conversation now of what benefit is the DP’s continued stay in the party as the deputy party leader when he is directly and deliberately undermining his boss. Of what value is the suitability of his role in JP?