The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has rejected a campaign by Amani National Congress (ANC) to have Deputy President William Ruto impeached, terming it an “unnecessary distraction”.
ANC, a party with 14 lawmakers, had told Dr Ruto to resign “for disrespecting President Uhuru Kenyatta”.
The Musalia Mudavadi-led party was banking on the support of the 73 ODM lawmakers to send the DP packing.
However, ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna said his party is not keen on the ANC-backed impeachment efforts.
“ANC cannot even impeach the governor of Vihiga,” Mr Sifuna said yesterday, referring to the county the party enjoys the most support.
He added that ANC and its deputy party leader Ayub Savula, who on Tuesday threatened to initiate the motion if Dr Ruto fails to resign, are insincere.
“When it comes to impeachment, Savula should not be taken seriously. This is an unnecessary distraction by ANC. The party has been under a lot of pressure to demonstrate some semblance of strength. Its leaders are at times desperate to show that they have the capacity to do certain things,” Mr Sifuna said on Citizen TV.
According to Mr Savula, the DP’s criticism of calls for a rotational presidency as advocated by Mr Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga, is disrespecting the President.
“Ruto should do the right thing and resign or be dismissed. We have taken the lead in preparing a motion of impeachment to protect Kenya against an implosion being fomented by Ruto, a rich and powerful man in government pretending to be poor,” Mr Savula said on Tuesday.
Mr Sifuna said the DP should resign out of principle, given his public disagreements with the President.
The resignation out of principle is a path ODM prefers, perhaps given the raucous nature of politics that an impeachment of such nature is bound to trigger.
In March 2020, ODM teamed up with Kenyatta-leaning lawmakers – with Senate Minority Leader James Orengo taking the lead – and threatened to table an impeachment motion against Dr Ruto.
“If Kenya were a country that practises political hygiene and people were principled, there would be sufficient argument to persuade Dr Ruto to resign if he no longer believes in the ideals that brought him together with President Kenyatta,” Mr Sifuna said.
“But there’s no principle when it comes to William Ruto, so we don’t expect him to resign.”
Dr Ruto is also accused of promoting the newly registered United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party despite having been elected on a Jubilee ticket.
While his team members argue that they have the right to associate with UDA, a rebrand of Jubilee-affiliate Party of Development and Reforms (PDR), the Kenyatta-Odinga allies say the action amounts to decamping from the ruling outfit.
“Jubilee and PDR, which has become UDA, are in a coalition agreement. Jubilee MPs supporting UDA in the upcoming by-elections are operating within the confines of the law,” former Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale said yesterday.
