Dissolve Cabinet and sack corrupt public officials, Senate tells Ruto

Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot at a fundraiser event in Bungoma on April 14, 2023. [File, Standard]

The country's rage over the current political crisis crystallised in the Senate on Wednesday where senators piled pressure on President William Ruto to dissolve his Cabinet, sack corrupt officials and apologise over the killing of 39 protestors by the police. 

Kenya Kwanza-allied senators took the frontline in attacking the government over its insensitivity to the suffering of civilians even as they demanded the scrapping of superfluous posts such as that of the First Lady, spouse of the Deputy President as well as that of Chief Cabinet Secretary for being outside the Constitution.

Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot said that it was disturbing that some Cabinet secretaries were engaging in politics even as they failed to deliver on the dockets given to them by the President while key sectors like public schools had collapsed.

Senate Majority Whip Boni Khalwale said the Cabinet was beyond redemption and warned the President against trying to patch it up, saying the best thing would be to reconstitute it.

Dr Khalwale said the country was in a crisis because Kenyans are angry and the Finance Bill was a trigger, adding that public servants led by Cabinet secretaries "are very corrupt and were not ashamed to show off to Kenyans who are hungry".

“One Cabinet secretary I cannot name due to personal reasons called me to protest over my remarks over corruption in government. The public display of opulence by politicians - unless it is clear to the public the source of the funds - will definitely make Kenyans angry,” said Khalwale.

He accused some MPs of misusing the National Government Constituency Development Fund to enrich themselves as evidenced by the fuel guzzlers parked at Parliament buildings. He revealed that an MP from his community had recently acquired a helicopter yet he was known to be of modest means.

Khalwale said that nepotism in government was worrying, noting that he knew of a Cabinet secretary who had employed two sons in his office. Kenyans, he added, had seen an MP donating Sh20 million in one harambee, raising questions over the source of the funds.

He said the office of the First Lady was a foreign concept in the country and should not be brought to the public. He wondered if he were to ascend to higher office, which one of his four wives would be first ladies. According to Khalwale, "First Ladies should not be left to run their homes".

"I call on the President to disband the Cabinet and reconstitute it afresh. Do away with the Chief Administrative Secretary office and office of the First Lady. Do away with other unnecessary public offices and also fire the Inspector General and presidential advisors for incompetence,” said Khalwale.

He said the country has seen impunity of MPs shooting to death Kenyans and then walking around as if nothing has happened.

“We have the secretary general of a political party moving around with chase cars and his vehicle mounted with the national flag and the police have not moved to stop such actions. These are some of the things that are making Kenyan youths angry with elected leaders,” he said.

The Senate Majority Leader said that senators held an informal meeting on Tuesday afternoon where they shared their experiences of the last few days and committed to do all they could to ensure the country regains its glory and becomes the pride of future generations.

Cheruiyot said it was embarrassing that it had taken the young people for leaders to realise that the country was headed the wrong way, and that they should listen to what was being said in the public spaces on how to redeem the country. He said 39 people had been confirmed dead and that if they were not careful, most countries that reached where Kenya was at the moment had taken many years to get back on the right track.

“I tender my unreserved apology to the country either by commission or omission on anything that I may have contributed to where the country is. I took a lot of reflection in the last few days, remembering that God has put me in a position of responsibility and wondering what I could have done better,” said Cheruiyot.

He said that the Senate has called upon the National Assembly to expeditiously consider the presidential memorandum on him declining to assent into law the Finance Bill, 2024 pursuant to Article 115(2)(a) so as to ensure the country goes back to normalcy following the protests.

Cheruiyot said that the Senate wants all government ministries, departments and agencies, and constitutional commissions including Parliament to put in place austerity measures in undertaking their respective functions.

He stressed that the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and other government agencies in governance, justice and law should make concerted efforts to fight corruption.

“The Senate wants the National Police Service to cease abductions, unlawful arrests, extra-judicial killings and exercise restraint in dealing with peaceful and unarmed demonstrators,” he said.

The Senate, he added, was calling for the release of all persons arrested for planning and participating in peaceful demonstrations relating to the enactment of the Finance Bill so as to enable the nation to heal from the unrest witnessed in various parts of the country.

The Senate asked the government to waive hospital bills for persons who were injured and defray funeral expenses for those who lost their lives during the demonstrations.

The senators also asked the Judiciary to prioritise and expedite all court cases relating to the enactment of the Finance Bill and the resultant demonstrations.

“The country is complaining of a broken system where nothing works with only those close to power enjoying a good life. We are being told that everyone is entitled to fair life. It is our duty as leaders to make radical decisions that will turn around the country,” said Cheruiyot.

Senate Minority Leader Stewart Madzayo noted that the loss of lives, maiming and loss of property occasioned following street protests was a matter of grave concern that should be given the attention it deserves by all elected leaders.

Madzayo said it was disturbing that people had died and others injured, adding that the country had taken a wrong direction and it was time for leaders to take their position to remedy the situation.

“We have our youths who have come out to protest peacefully while armed with water bottles and their phones to record the historic moment. They are not tribal and regard each other as brothers and sisters who are out to champion for good governance,” he said.

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna said the city has borne the brunt of the protests with at least 19 out of 39 people killed during the demonstrations coming from Nairobi, and that the leadership needs to show remorse and allow the people to express themselves freely.

Speaking of opulence, Sifuna revealed that Sh377,000 had been allocated to a card of the vehicle allocated to him by Parliament as the Deputy Whip of the Minority and that he did not need all that money to use the Nairobi Expressway.

Sifunal further said that the National Assembly should immediately reconvene and handle the Finance Bill expeditiously, adding that Kenyans were not happy that youths who have gone to school and have several degrees cannot access jobs while some politicians can be seen dishing out employment letters to their supporters while their applications letters are discarded.