The disquiet in President William Ruto’s UDA party over the procurement of fake fertiliser spells doom for embattled Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi.
The development comes after some lawmakers intensified calls for the removal of the CS, following the revelations of fake fertiliser scam.
“Either way, he must go!” Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba told the Star on Tuesday.
She is among UDA MPs who have been critical of the regime. The lawmaker has been criticising the administration over its policies.
Mbeere North MP Geoffrey Ruku confirmed preparing an impeachment motion against Linturi.
On Tuesday, Ruku said he was set to meet his Bumula counterpart Jack Wamboka (DAP-K) last evening to agree on who will sponsor the ouster motion.
“I am away in Malawi but I am coming back in the evening. We will meet [with Wamboka] in the evening and agree on who will sponsor the motion,” Ruku told the Star.
Wamboka is also reportedly working on a motion to remove the CS.
According to the vocal first-term MP, there is a ‘criminal network’ within the Ministry of Agriculture that engineered the production and sale of the fake input.
“Those responsible should vacate office and be taken to jail. The buck stops with the Agriculture CS. He is the top-most in the ministry as far as the [subsidised fertiliser] programme is concerned,” he said.
Linturi has been on the spot after revelations his ministry, through the National Cereals and Produce Board, distributed fake fertiliser.
After initially denying the report, Linturi finally admitted that 3,000 bags of fertiliser distributed by Kel Chemicals, one of the firms contracted by NCPB to distribute the commodity, were substandard.
Already, Linturi has ordered immediate closure and withdrawal of practicing certificate of the company until the ongoing investigations are concluded.
However, the opposition has also maintained that Linturi should take full responsibility – be sacked – for the distribution of fake or substandard fertiliser.
“The CS for the Ministry of Agriculture, who is responsible for NCPB and Kephis, and his counterpart in the Ministry of Trade, who is responsible for Kebs, must take full responsibility of the confusion that is being witnessed and resign with immediate effect,” Minority leader Opiyo Wandayi said in a statement recently.
“Failure to resign by these top government officials, the appointing authority must swing into action and sack them forthwith,” the Ugunja MP said.
Health CS Susan Nakhumicha also faces similar fate.
Embakasi East MP Babu Owino is collecting signatures to impeach Nakhumicha for failure to address the doctors’ concerns to end their strike.
The doctors, under the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union, have been on strike for five weeks now.
Babu accuses Nakhumicha of incompetence and gross violation of the Constitution.
He accused the CS of grossly violating 26(1) and 43 (1)(a) of the Constitution.
“As a result of the doctors strike, a majority of Kenyans’ rights to life as well as well as the right to highest attainable standards of health has been grossly violated,” Babu states in the notice.
On Tuesday, a group of women parliamentarians demanded Nakhumicha’s sacking over problems in the health sector.
The group, led by Wamuchomba and Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo, criticised the CS for discontinuing the Linda Mama Programme, doctors’ strike and troubles at the NHIF.
“You are embarrassing us as fellow women. You are putting us in a fix. we want to protect you but you can’t be the one sabotaging fellow women,” Odhiambo said at a press conference in Parliament Buildings.
Kilifi Woman Representative Gertrude Mbeyu said, “The embarrassment you have brought to us is enormous, how do we support you with our mothers suffering, I will be the first one to say Nakhumicha must go.”
