By Lauryne Akoth
Members of parliament have approved the motion to impeach Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi.
The motion tabled by Bumula Member of Parliament Jack Wamboka was seconded by 149 members of parliament after the speaker Moses Wetangula called the motion into a vote.
36 members of parliament voted against the motion while 3 others abstained from voting.
For the motion to proceed, it required garnering support from at least one-third of the members of the National Assembly, totaling 117 members.
” Consequently I find that the proposed motion by the Bumula Mp meets the requirements of article 152 of the constitution and standing order 66 to form the threshold required for a member to move a motion for a dismissal of cabinet secretary,” noted the speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetangula.
He remarked that Linturi’s actions of entering manufacturing plants and purportedly revoking licenses without conducting proper investigations constitute gross misconduct.
The speaker further highlighted that as a state officer, Linturi failed to perform his duties professionally and in a manner that fosters public trust in the integrity of his office, contravening the Leadership and Integrity Act, Chapter 185 C.
The speaker acknowledged that the motion satisfied the prerequisites for advancement to the next stage, which involves the selection of an 11-member select committee tasked with investigating the allegations against him.
Subsequently, the committee is mandated to present a report to parliament either validating or refuting the allegations.
The speaker emphasized that parliamentary parties within the chamber will oversee the appointment of select committee members, nominate candidates, and submit their selections to the office of the speaker.
Thereafter, the committee shall then table a motion before the house for approval depending on the findings of their investigation.
Read More: Moses Wetangula Approves Motion To Impeach Agriculture CS Linturi
Membership of the select committee shall be distributed as follows, the ruling party, UDA, 6 members, the opposition, Azimio, 4 members, Jubilee party 1 member.
The nominees need to be nominated based on diversity and gender considerations.