Two governors and nine Members of Parliament have condemned a proposal by some politicians to impeach Deputy President William Ruto saying the debate will derail the government’s development agenda.
Governors Lee Kinyanjui (Nakuru), Ferdinand Waititu (Kiambu) and MPs David Gikaria (Nakuru Town East), Kimani Ngunjiri (Bahati), Charity Kathambi (Njoro) and Liza Chelule (Nakuru Women’s Representative) underscored the need for political sobriety for the country to achieve its growth goals.
The leaders spoke in Bahati constituency, where they had accompanied Ruto for the memorial service of five family members who died in the Ethiopian Airlines crash on March 10.
“Our development is dependent on the utterances leaders make. A toxic political environment will inhibit our development, especially the implementation of the Big Four agenda,” said Kinyanjui.
The governor slammed Opposition politicians for threatening to impeach Ruto when unity was gaining momentum in the country.
“We are not ready to pursue any route that would sow division in the society. Our focus is to bring Kenyans together and address their needs,” he said.
Waititu said the country was still suffering from the hangovers of protracted 2017 elections, and efforts to plunge it “into political mood” would be rejected.
“We want Kenyans to access clean drinking water, have better roads, homes and businesses connected to power. That is our agenda as leaders,” he said. Ngunjiri said Jubilee MPs oppose the impeachment bid.
“The goal behind the impeachment is to create power vacuum so that perpetual vote losers can gain power. But that is an exercise in futility,” he said.
Ruto, on his part, urged leaders to focus on issues that would improve lives of Kenyans. He condoled with the bereaved family and assured it of government’s support. “In coming days, we will hold a joint memorial service for all Kenyans who lost their lives in the plane crash,” he assured.
Later, the Deputy President laid a foundation stone for Dr Maurice Dang’ana Secondary School and held a rally at Hamisi Sports Ground in Vihiga county.
He called on Kenyans to shun tribal politics “because that kind of politics is outdated”. “Political competition should not be between tribes; it should be about who can perform better than the other,” he added.
In Vihiga, Ruto was accompanied by MPs Charles Gimose (Hamisi), Dan Wanyama (Webuye West), Ben Washiali (Mumias East) and Bernard Shinali (Ikolomani). The four lawmakers said the impeachment plot would backfire.