NAIROBI, Kenya, May 22 – Meru Senator Mithika Linturi has vowed to oppose Deputy Senate Speaker Kithure Kindiki’s ouster motion set for debate Friday afternoon describing it as unconstitutional.
Linturi voiced his open defiance hours after it emerged Senators from the Majority Party had been instructed to toe the party’s line or risk sanctions.
In a letter addressed to Jubilee Party’s Majority Whip Irungu Kang’ata (Murang’a), Linturi further stated that he will use his freedom of expression to vote against the motion.
He pointed out that it was in bad taste and alluded to a sinister motive behind it as their were no misconduct charges leveled against Kindiki.
“This motion has no basis or substance. It is being used to threaten people who are of different opinion of how things are being run by the government and in the party. For me, I do not care how many times I get such a letter, I will not change my position,” said Linturi.
He called on the ruling Jubilee Party to put its house in order singling out recent changes to the House leadership as dictatorial.
“Let them use civilized ways that can bring people together but not threats and dictatorship. So if there are problems within the party, then the leader should call people together, discuss about the issues and find solutions,” Linturi added.
The Senate was set to convene Friday afternoon to discuss the ouster motion against Deputy Speaker Kithure Kindiki (Tharaka Nithi) sponsored by Kang’ata, the newly installed Majority Chief Whip.
Kithure who has been accused of being disloyal to the party faces the axe ostensibly after the leadership of the Jubilee Party leadership in the house whipped its members to support the ouster motion.
Kang’ata told the press on Thursday 48 Senators, including the membership of the Minority Coalition (NASA) had endorsed the motion, exuding confidence that the threshold for removal would be attained.
“We have the requisite numbers and members of the party have been instructed accordingly,” the Majority Whip said when he spoke to reporters at Parliament buildings.
He revealed that 26 Senators drawn from the Jubilee Party and 22 drawn from the National Super Alliance Coalition (NASA) had endorsed the ouster motion.
Kang’ata cited Kithure’s failure to attend a Senate Parliamentary Group meeting that was convened by President Uhuru Kenyatta at State House, Nairoibi as the reason for the censure motion. The Murang’a Senator did not table any other grounds for the removal of the Tharaka Nithi Senator from deputy speakership.
The ouster motion, according to a gazette notice by Speaker Ken Lusaka, will be the only business to be debated on Friday.
