MPs warn Tuju to keep off Waiguru ouster bid

Five MPs from Kirinyaga issue a statement on Monday, calling for the county assembly to proceed with its planned motion to impeach Governor Anne Waiguru without interference from Jubilee Party officials. [Joseph Muchiri, Standard]

Five lawmakers accuse Jubilee official of trying to arm-twist Kirinyaga assembly into dropping motion planned for today.

Five MPs in Kirinyaga County have accused Jubilee Party Secretary General Raphael Tuju of interfering with a planned impeachment motion against Governor Anne Waiguru.

A notice to impeach Ms Waiguru was filed last week and is expected to come up for debate today, after which the governor will be given a chance to defend herself before ward reps vote.

Last week, Mr Tuju announced he had removed Kerugoya Ward Rep Kamau Murango as the county assembly’s leader of majority for getting involved in the impeachment motion.

Tuju’s letter to all Jubilee Party elected and nominated ward reps directed them to toe the party line and disassociate themselves from any impeachment motion against Waiguru.

In the letter to assembly Chief Whip John Njoka and copied to ward reps, Tuju reminded them that they must exhaust all internal party dispute resolution mechanisms before resorting to impeachment.

Judicial process

But the five legislators dismissed this as illegality.

Wangui Ngirichi (Kirinyaga Woman Rep), John Wambugu (Kirinyaga Central MP) Gichimu Githinji (Gichugu MP) and George Kariuki (Ndia MP) said on Monday that the impeachment should proceed as per the law.

They said the governor is still presumed innocent until proved guilty by the county assembly, the Senate and a judicial process.

Speaking after a meeting at a hotel in Sagana, the leaders told Tuju to stop interfering with the operations of the Kirinyaga County Assembly.

They pointed out that the Jubilee secretary general did not interfere with impeachment processes in other counties dominated by the ruling party, and that they were not aware of any decision reached by the party regarding Waiguru’s impeachment motion.

“It is, therefore, our considered view that the secretary general’s office has no authority to make any decision on behalf of the party, its officials or members and call it a party position,” they said.

Denying a quorum

Responding to County Commissioner Jim Njoka’s remarks that not more than 10 ward reps should assemble at the assembly’s precincts today in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the leaders insisted that only the Kirinyaga County Assembly speaker had the authority to give such guidelines.

“We, therefore, believe this is a subtle attempt by the commissioner to deny the Kirinyaga Assembly a quorum to transact their business,” they said.