Murkomen dares Raila allies to table DP’s impeachment motion
Mercy Mwai @wangumarci
Bring it on! That was the response Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen to the threat by Raila Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement to impeach Deputy President William Ruto.
Murkomen, a staunch ally of the DP, said the Jubilee legislators were prepared to deal with any impeachment motion once it is taken to the House.
On the cards
“Anyone dreaming of the impeachment of the DP should prepare for their waterloo. We are ready for them. We know it has been on the cards for long,” he said in an interview yesterday.
But the Minority Whip in the National Assembly Junet Mohammed, denied claims that the motion is an ODM initiative, saying it is being championed by like-minded legislators who believe Ruto should be out of government.
The Suna East MP told Murkomen and other DP backers that the motion was not a threat but a reality that would come to pass next week.
“My words to Murkomen, let’s meet on the floor of the House, the impeachment motion is coming next week. We are ready for it and we are supporting it,” said Junet.
While telling the proponents of the motion off, Murkomen said they were aware of all the “dirty schemes” being used to fight Ruto with the intention of frustrating his 2022 presidential bid.
He added that apart from the motion, those who were opposed to his candidature had been using the criminal justice system, particularly the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), to bring him down.
Not shaken
“The scheme is to brand him as corrupt so that they can impeach him. I have told them to dare and impeach the Deputy President and then let us see where this will go. I can assure you that these people will regret for their entire life,” he said.
The Elgeyo/Marakwet Senator maintained that neither an impeachment motion nor the calls for Ruto to resign will shake him.
He insisted the Deputy President would continue to serve in the Jubilee government, of which he said he is a stakeholder, not a visitor.
“How can someone quit from something he established? William Ruto never put any words in the mouths of Uhuru Kenyatta that he would support him come 2022. He made the said remarks voluntarily,” he added.
Murkomen response came a day after Senate Minority Leader James Orengo said he had sufficient grounds to seek the removal of Ruto from office, adding that he would marshal two thirds of elected members needed to pass an impeachment motion.
He said he would use the fake Sh40 billion arms deal scandal and the killing of police officer Kipyegon Kenei, who was attached to the DP’s Harambee House Annex office, to lay grounds for his removal.
2022 plan
Meanwhile, Murkomen criticised the Handshake between President Uhuru and Raila, saying it had resulted in the opposite of what it was meant to achieve.
“Handshake and Building Bridges Initiative become another arrangement towards the formation of a political union to the exclusion of others.
The Handshake is being used by ODM for 2022 that is why anything goes for them,” he said.
