Deputy President William Ruto came under attack from Jubilee leaders who singled him out as the man at the centre of major corruption scandals bedeviling the country.
The leaders drawn from Central and Nairobi said that the stolen money must be returned and that a process of impeachment could be initiated to oust the DP.
Speaking on Saturday at Kathiani Constituency, Machakos County, the leaders echoed President Uhuru Kenyatta’s recent remarks that he would go after corrupt officials including his “closest political allies”.
“This war against corruption will not stop! It will be messy and untidy… but it will be done. Period. #Kitaeleweka,” Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu quipped.
Quoting Article 147 on the ‘Functions of the Deputy President’, Kathiani MP Robert Mbui indicated that the DP is an assistant to the President but does not co-share the Presidency with the incumbent.
The leaders threatened that they may soon consider invoking Article 150 on the ‘Removal of Deputy President’.
The article stipulates that the DP can be removed on the ground of physical or mental incapacity to perform the functions of the office or through impeachment.
Under Article 150, the Constitution indicates that an impeachment of the DP can be launched, “(i) on the ground of a gross violation of a provision of this Constitution or any other law; (ii) where there are serious reasons to believe that the Deputy President has committed a crime under national or international law; or (iii) for gross misconduct”.
Alluding to the adage “a guilty conscience needs no accuser”, MP Wambugu noted that no names had been mentioned in the multi-billion scandal surrounding the construction of Arror and Kimwarer dams.
“Someone came to clarify that it was not Ksh21 billion but Ksh7 billion. He went further to indicate that the money was insured and that he was not behind the scandal. He is not an investigator, he has not been mentioned. Why is are you so worried?” Ngunjiri posed.
Turn down dirty money
Nominated MP Maina Kamanda equally urged churches to turn down huge donations made by political leaders.
“How can someone donate Ksh1, 2 or 3 million to 15 churches on a single day, which business are you doing. Even President Donald Trump does not have that kind of money. This is what has been stolen from the public coffers, turn it down.