Bumula MP Wanami Wamboka, who sponsored the motion, officially wrote to Speaker Moses Wetang’ula on Wednesday, seeking approval of the motion.
The move is a major threat to Linturi’s tenure in the Cabinet as several MPs from President William Ruto's UDA are backing the bill.
Linturi's former lover Maryanne Kitany (Aldai MP) is among the UDA troops who have signed to sack the CS, according to documents released to the press by Wamboka.
The motion is seconded by Laikipia North MP Sarah Korere.
The petition says Linturi is guilty of gross violation of the Constitution by failing to undertake public participation before proceeding with the procurement and distribution of the fertiliser.
“He (Linturi) has therefore violated the Constitution on national values and principles on good governance in so far as that he acted as a state officer to make and implement a public policy to approve the procurement and distribution of fake fertiliser contrary to the National Cereals and Produce Board, an agency in his ministry,” the petition reads.
The Cabinet Secretary is also being accused of allegedly frustrating investigations into the fertiliser scam in which farmers paid for sub-standard substance packaged as fertiliser.
“We convene to address a matter of utmost importance to the integrity and accountability of our government,” Wanami said on Thursday.
“The revelations of the procurement and distribution of fake fertiliser, contrary to the directives of His Excellency the President and the interests of Kenyan farmers, have shaken the foundation of public trust in our agricultural sector.”
The new move comes just days after a UDA legislator also threatened to Linturi's removal.
Mbeere North MP Geoffrey Ruku claimed there is a “criminal network” within the Agriculture Ministry that engineered the production and sale of the fake commodity.
“Those responsible should vacate office and be taken to jail. The buck stops with the CS Agriculture. He is the topmost in the ministry as far as the (subsidised fertiliser) programme is concerned,” he told the Star
At the press conference in Parliament, Wanami was accompanied by the Korere as they declared their intentions.
“Furthermore, the allegations of forgery, fraudulent activities, and attempts to suppress investigations raise serious questions about the integrity and ethical conduct of those in position of power,” they said in a statement.”
“To regain the trust in this government is by removing Mithika Linturi and he must go by all necessary means.”
Linturi becomes the first Cabinet Secretary in President William Ruto’s Cabinet to face impeachment threats.
The Bumula MP urged his colleagues to support his motion once it is approved by the Speaker.
He pledged to not be compromised, disclosing that he has been receiving emissaries to drop the impeachment bid since he started.
“We are awaiting for approval so it go to the House Business Committee. We are looking at either Tuesday or Wednesday next week and we are done with Linturi,” Wanami stated.
“We have enough grounds to impeach Linturi. This is a moral question, there is no Azimio or Kenya Kwanza. We have no problem with the President.”
The Star’s attempts to get Linturi’s comment were futile as he did not respond to phone calls or respond to SMSs by press time.
Once the Speaker approves the motion, the House Business Committee will convene to slot the motion on the Order Paper.
The Constitution requires at least one-quarter of the 349 members to append their signatures to convince the Speaker to approve the motion.
This translates to 88 members.
According to the petition seen by the Star, MPs from across the political divides signed the petition to send the former senator home.
Amongst those who signed the motion are Joyce Kamene (Machakos MP, Wiper), Raphael Wanjala (Budalang’i, ODM), Pauline Lenguris (Samburu MP, UDA), Maryanne Kitany (Aldai, UDA) and Adams Korir (Keiyo North, UDA).
Otiende Amollo (Rarieda MP, ODM), Samuel Parashina (Kajiado South, ODM), Adagala Beatrice (Vihiga MP, ANC), Stephen Mogaka (West Mugirango, JP) and Clive Gisairo (Kitutu Masaba, ODM) also signed.
Others who appended their signatures are Mohamed Adow (Wajir South, ODM), David Pkosing (Pokost South, KUP), Gathoni Wamuchomba (Githunguri, UDA), James Wamacukuru (Kabete, UDA) and Geoffrey Ruku (Mbeere North, DP).
Wanami’s motion further seeks to confer criminal culpability on Linturi for allegedly trying to implore KELS Chemicals Chief Operating Officer Patel Devesh to read to the press a statement crafted by the Cereals Board.
“His subsequent issuance of the orders closing the factory and declaring it a crime scene because Mr Devesh of KELS Chemicals refused to participate in the staged press conference, discloses grounds that are serious reasons for believing the CS has committed a crime under national law,” the petition reads.
Commenting on the impeachment threat, Professor Gitile Naituli, said the fertiliser racket was executed by senior government officials.
“MPs may put up signatures, fine, but for it to go through is another story. This is because that time, [in Parliament] they will have to go on record,” Naituli told the Star.
“Notably, the fertiliser maker told Parliament how he was called to Harambee House and was literally being forced to own up as the one who supplied substandard fertiliser.”
“That tells you that the distributor of the fake fertiliser could be in those premises (Harambee House).”
Speaking within Parliament Buildings, Laikipia North MP Sarah Korere denied any witch-hunt in the move to impeach Linturi, saying the grounds are overwhelming.
“I don’t know the CS personally, all we want is to ask Linturi to resign and allow for investigation, if he is cleared, he will come back,” Korere said.
Agriculture Committees of both houses of Parliament have been carrying out enquiries into the fake fertiliser since it merged that farmers have been duped into buying substandard substance. They have received replacements with genuine fertiliser.
The two committees, in parallel investigations, seek to establish how the fake substance found its way into government stores and to what extent the fake fertiliser has been sold to the farmers.
The committee also wants to ascertain any adverse health effects of the substance on farmers and their crops.
The Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) boss Esther Ngari was the first to confirm the presence of fake fertiliser in the NCPB stores when she appeared before the National Assembly Agriculture Committee last month.
“The product being distributed is not certified by Kebs. The product which Kebs initially certified is different from what has been seized from various NCPB depots in the country and condemned as substandard and counterfeited, and thus not suitable for sale in the market,” Ngari told the committee.
CS Linturi, NCPB managing director Joseph Kimote, Agriculture PS Paul Ronoh, Kebs managing director Ngari and Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service managing director Prof Theophilus Mutui have all appeared before the parliamentary committees.
