Ruto trashes Cord’s ‘ridiculous’ bid to impeach Uhuru
Deputy President William Ruto and a group of Jubilee lawmakers on Sunday trashed plans to impeach President Uhuru Kenyatta.
At the same time, Mr Ruto said he did not have to be president to prove his innocence at the International Criminal Court.
Defending the Jubilee Coalition from accusations that it had failed the leadership test, Mr Ruto termed Cord’s impeachment attempt “ridiculous”.
“This impeachment talk is as ridiculous as the teacher’s fundraising attempt they launched,” he said.
VIOLATING CONSTITUTION
Last week, Cord co-principal Moses Wetang’ula said the coalition would prepare a motion to remove President Kenyatta from office for “violating the Constitution he swore to protect” by failing to honour orders to pay teachers.
He was backed by the other Cord co-principals Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka.
The opposition also unveiled a pay bill number to collect money for striking teachers.
Speaking on Sunday at PCEA Bahati Parish, Nairobi, Mr Ruto said impeachment attempts would fail.
On his crimes against humanity charges with Mr Joshua arap Sang, Mr Ruto said he would triumph just like President Kenyatta, whose charges were dropped in December last year.
‘MY INNOCENCE’
“The case against the President collapsed not because he was the head of state but because he was innocent. I don’t have to be president to prove my innocence,” he said.
He said Jubilee was united and would work hard to have Mr Kenyatta retain the presidency in 2017.
Mr Ruto also took a swipe at Senator Johnstone Muthama whom he accused of insulting women by talking ill of Devolution and Planning Cabinet Secretary Ann Waiguru.
He said the senator showed disrespect to President Kenyatta during a Cord rally at Uhuru Park last week.
“How do you face your wife, mother or daughter after spewing such bile against women?” he asked, as he told teachers to report to work Monday.
STRONG IN PARLIAMENT
Host MP Benson Mutura echoed Mr Ruto’s sentiments. “We are ready for the motion and we are strong,” the Makadara MP said.
The lawmaker also condemned Mr Muthama, saying his utterances towards the President and Ms Waiguru were not befitting of a leader.
Dagoretti South MP Dennis Waweru said the opposition MPs were making noise even when they knew they didn’t have the numbers in both Houses of Parliament.