National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula on Tuesday April 30, 2024 approved a motion of impeachment against Agriculture cabinet secretary Mithika Linturi over the fake fertiliser saga.

This was after the motion was filed in parliament by Bumula member of parliament (MP) Jack Wamboka.

Wamboka had disclosed that 110 MPs had signed papers in support of Linturi’s impeachment.

If the motion sails through in parliament, Linturi will become the first close ally of President William Ruto to be kicked out of cabinet.

In the motion, the Bumula MP is seeking to impeach Linturi for gross misconduct, gross violation of the Constitution and committing a crime under national law.

While approving the motion, Wetangula disclosed that the motion met all the requirements of the law and the standing orders.

“Consequently the grounds for dismissal of the Agriculture CS as contained in the proposed motion comply with the requirements of standing order 641a and 66,” Wetangula ruled.

“In view of the foregoing, the proposed special motion meets the applicable procedural requirement for it to be admitted to the next stage,” he added.

At the same time, the Speaker emphasized that the House is supposed to dispose of the motion within 7 days after it has been moved, and warned that if that fails then, the motion will collapse.

Meanwhile, the MPs are now scheduled to debate the motion on Thursday May 2, 2024 after the Bumula MP moved the impeachment motion.

During the debate on impeachment, the House will also decide on whether they will form a committee of 11 members to investigate Linturi and determine if he is guilty of the allegations leveled against him.

“The Select Committee shall within 10 days report to the assembly whether it finds the allegations against the Cabinet Secretary to be substantiated or otherwise. If the Select Committee report finds that the allegations are unsubstantiated, no further proceedings are taken thereafter,” Wetangula noted in his ruling.

“However, if the Select Committee report finds that the allegations are substantiated, the House is required to afford the CS an opportunity to be heard and a vote whether to approve a resolution requiring dismissal of the Cabinet Secretary.”