Siaya senator James Orengo has recently hit the headlines for his renewed attacks on the country’s Deputy President William Ruto. Orengo while on a political rally in Nyanza assured the residents that he was going to facilitate a motion to impeach Dr. Ruto on incompetent grounds.
But as Orengo struggles to make his promises a reality, their are emerging issues that will stand on Orengo’s way. It is not an easy task to impeach a person of Ruto’s caliber as far as procedures are concerned. Here are some few reasons why the Siaya senator find it hard o push for such move;
First, the process cannot start in the Senate where he sits! Under Article 145 of the Constitution as read together with Art.150, the process can only originate in the National Assembly, where he does not sit!.
2. Under the same Article, The process can ONLY be initiated by a sitting Member of Parliament. The Constitution has no room for the strangers he is imagining he can sponsor to initiate the process.
3. Any MP wishing to start the process MUST have signatures of not less than a third of the entire membership of the National Assembly. In a House of 349, that translates to 117 MPs! That would be an uphill task for Orengo considering that Dp Ruto has a large number of allies in the national assembly
4. The idea will die even before it starts. For such a motion to pass the second stage, it will require to be supported by two-thirds of all Members of the National Assembly. Getting 233 MPs to support anything is a political nightmare! We have tried it unsuccessfully more than 5 times in Bills to amend the Constitution
5. Supposing that it passes that stage and the trial committee of eleven is formed. This is the Third Stage, where the Senate now becomes involved. If the Committee was to find the grounds substantiated, the final stage is even harder- it requires two thirds of Senators to support!
6. Third Stage is even harder! The motion will also require support of another Two-thirds of all Senators. In a House where Jubilee party enjoys super majority, that is definitely insurmountable.
Our Constitution protects all Kenyans from cheap witch-hunt. Senator Orengo knows this too well, but he has chosen, once more, to market cheap and worthless fishing expeditions. He will not distract us from uniting our nation and the BIG 4 agenda!