Jubilee Party’s Bold Move: Ruto Faces Impeachment Amidst Clash with Uhuru
On Thursday, June 8, a faction of the Jubilee Party aligned with former President Uhuru Kenyatta announced its intention to introduce legislation providing grounds for impeaching President William Ruto for interfering with political parties.
Members of the Jubilee Party, speaking after the party’s first National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting since the controversial National Delegates Conference (NDC), argued that the Bill would also grant MPs the authority to propose the impeachment of Ruto’s deputy, Rigathi Gachagua.
Jeremiah Kioni, a former member of parliament from Ndaragwa and the embattled secretary general of the Jubilee Party, told the media that Kenya Kwanza’s meddling in Jubilee Party affairs influenced Bill’s design.
He argued that the Bill would restore sanity to political parties after Ruto wooed politicians from the opposition camp and consolidated parliamentary support.
“We want a law so that in the future, people who hold different positions and interfere with parties, like Ruto, Gachagua, and now Wetangula (Speaker of the National Assembly, Moses Wetangula), will face impeachment,” Kioni said.
Kioni argued that the party would lobby on behalf of its members to support the Bill. Nevertheless, he acknowledged that it would be a Herculean task, given that Ruto holds the majority in Parliament.
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“We want to have a law where, in future, people who hold different positions and interfere with parties just like Ruto, Gachagua, and now Wetangula (National Assembly Speaker, Moses Wetangula) face impeachment motions,” Kioni stated.
According to the Constitution adopted in 2010, a president may be impeached for Constitutional violations, treason, bribery, and other high crimes and misdemeanors.
Raila Regarding Ruto’s Interference in Political Parties
Raila Odinga, the leader of the Azimio La Umoja party, threatened to recall protests if Ruto continued to interfere with political parties. This was one of his non-negotiable requirements before the breakdown of bipartisan talks with Ruto.
Attending Uhuru’s NDC, Raila also accused Ruto of holding the Judiciary and Parliament hostage. The former prime minister lost several MPs who defected to Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza after the General Election on August 9, 2022.
The dismissal of Chege as Deputy Minority Whip
On Thursday, June 8, Azimio la Umoja also threatened to file a motion to impeach National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula after he declined to approve its motion to remove Chege as the National Assembly’s deputy minority whip.
Azimio, under the direction of minority leader Opiyo Wandayi, accused Wetangula of siding with the majority in the Chege impeachment fiasco.
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“No longer can things proceed in this manner in the House. “We have decided to file an impeachment motion against National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula,” warned Wandayi.
Jubilee Rivalries
Kioni’s faction, which is aligned with Uhuru, is engaged in a power struggle with a group led by nominated MP Sabina Chege and Kanini Kega, his East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) counterpart.
Sabina Chege was elected as the leader of the rebel group, with Kega claiming that Uhuru was removed from his position. The Ruto-aligned faction also expelled Kioni and the embattled vice chairman of Jubilee, David Murathe.
In contrast, Uhuru ratified Kega and Chege’s expulsion from Jubilee during the NDC held at Ngong Race Course on May 22.
The Internal Disputes Resolution Committee (IDRC) of the Jubilee Party ruled that the former President’s national delegates conference was invalid. The IDRC was, however, accused of aligning with the Chege-Ruto faction.
“The Respondent (Kenyatta) did not act by the Party constitution in publishing the notices convening the NEC meeting of 28th April 2023 and the SNDC of 22nd May 2023,” the committee stated.
Anne Nderitu, the Registrar of Political Parties, also invalidated the resolutions passed at Uhuru’s NDC, arguing that Kioni failed to present the required documentation, including a signed list of attendees with Identification Numbers (IDs), to determine the composition of the NDC and the quorum by articles 8.1(1) and 23 of the Jubilee Party (JP) constitution.
Jubilee Party’s Bold Move: Ruto Faces Impeachment Amidst Clash with Uhuru
