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Unfit to lead: Cord wants Uhuru impeached


Cord on Thursday said it was preparing an impeachment Motion against President Uhuru Kenyatta on the grounds that his government has failed to honour a court order to pay teachers higher salaries.

The 15 MPs and senators spoke at Parliament a day before the deadline set by Teachers Service Commission (TSC) for striking teachers to return to work and end their boycott, which enters its 17th day Friday.

They said President Kenyatta was no longer fit to hold office because the Jubilee administration had ignored a legitimate court order and, therefore, deserved to be removed through impeachment.

On July 23, the Court of Appeal directed the TSC to give its 288,060 teachers a pay rise of between 50 and 60 per cent spread over four years.

NO MONEY

The award is expected to cost Sh17 billion if implemented in the current financial year, but the National Treasury has said that the government has no money.

Last week, President Kenyatta ruled out paying the teachers.

On Thursday, the Cord lawmakers, led by Senate Minority Leader Moses Wetang’ula, said they would lead a demonstration in Nairobi on Wednesday to protest the manner in which the government has handled the teachers’ strike. They also asked teachers to join the demonstration.

Mr Wetang’ula said the Motion would be tabled in the National Assembly when the House resumes from recess in two weeks.

He said the Motion had the support of Jubilee MPs who are not happy with the way the government has treated teachers.

JUBILEE MPs

Some Jubilee MPs from the South Rift had earlier this week expressed their disappointment at the way the teachers are being treated by the government.

Said Mr Wetang’ula: “We have agreed to prepare an impeachment Motion to remove the President for violating the Constitution that he took an oath to protect. Having failed to obey the court order, he has, in effect, violated the Constitution.”

The government has said it has no money to pay the salary increase as ordered by the Court of Appeal and is banking on an appeal by the TSC to reverse the July ruling.

The case is being heard at the Court of Appeal.