A parliamentary bid to remove Kenyan Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi from office has failed after a select committee found insufficient evidence to substantiate the allegations against him, defusing a political clash that had threatened to destabilize President William Ruto’s administration.
The 11-member bipartisan committee, formed last Thursday by the National Assembly, reported on Monday that the claims leveled against Linturi, which included gross violation of the Constitution, abuse of office, and forgery, were unsubstantiated after a 10-day inquiry.
“The allegation under ground 1 on gross violation of the constitution, ground 2 on serious reasons for believing the CS has committed a crime under national law and ground 3 on the gross misconduct as outlined on the special motion are unsubstantiated,” said committee chairperson Naomi Waqo.
The impeachment motion, brought by opposition lawmaker Jack Wamboka, had accused the Agriculture Minister of offences relating to the controversial procurement and distribution of fertilizers by the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB).
It marked the first major test for President Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza coalition government since taking office last September, with the opposition Azimio la Umoja alliance seizing on the allegations to pile pressure on the nascent administration.
The committee’s findings have provided a reprieve for Linturi and the government, which had rallied behind the embattled minister, with Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah accusing the opposition of trying to “impede ongoing investigations” into the fertilizer scandal.
As the dust settles on this initial confrontation, all eyes will be on how the Ruto administration manages the fallout and whether it can forge a more conciliatory tone with the opposition to advance its agenda of economic revival and national unity.
