On Tuesday, members of the National Assembly urged Speaker Moses Wetangula to instruct Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to ensure adequate security for lawmakers who signed the motion seeking to impeach Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
Following the tabling of the motion by Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse, Majority Leader and Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wah emphasized that the move to challenge the Deputy President presented significant security risks not only to the MPs involved but also to President William Ruto.
“Just to add on to what Honourable Farah Maalim and Junet Mohamed have said, Honourable Speaker, the security of MPs is paramount,” Ichung’wah stated.
The MP stated that if anything were to happen to any lawmaker, the Inspector General of Police would be held accountable.
“Should anything happen to the president, I want to beg that you take with much weight the issues raised by Junet and Maalim. For members of this house, all the 349 of them, you must direct the Police IG to ensure that when this house is sitting and even outside, members are secure,” Ichung’wah said.
Reiterating his concerns, Ichung’wah claimed that there is a coordinated effort by unknown individuals to threaten lawmakers supporting the impeachment motion against Gachagua. The Majority Leader also urged MPs to refrain from discussing the controversial motion in public forums, including during media interviews.
“Many of the MPs will be invited to the media houses to discuss this motion which has been tabled today just to caution members that it will be out of order to discuss this matter outside this house,” the Kikuyu MP stated
Ichung’wah’s comments came after Speaker Moses Wetangula allowed the motion on Friday, September 27, stating that it met the constitutional requirements, as a majority of MPs had supported it.
“I find that the special motion meets the requirements relating to form and threshold set out in Articles 145 (1) and 150 (1)(b) of the Constitution and standing orders 64(1),” Wetang’ula said.
“I have also satisfied myself that the number of members who have appended their signatures in support of the special motion exceeds the minimum threshold of 117 members in this house.”
