- MPs on Thursday endorsed the formation of a select committee to investigate Linturi's conduct.
- A total of 149 members voted in favour, 36 rejected it while three members abstained.
Image: HANDOUT
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka has urged besieged Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi to resign in light of an ongoing impeachment process.
MPs on Thursday endorsed the formation of a select committee to investigate Linturi's conduct.
A total of 149 members voted in favour, 36 rejected it while three members abstained.
Nominees to the 11-member select committee to probe the impeachment allegations have already been tabled.
Kalonzo said Linturi should not wait for verification of the impeachment charges by the select committee after majority of MPs voted in favour of his ouster.
"If Linturi has been impeached, I find it very strange and it goes against the concept of supremacy of Parliament itself. That the decision by 149 members of Parliament has to go to the committee for verification," Kalonzo said.
"So, Linturi, for your own respect and that of the country, resign early," Kalonzo said.
Kalonzo spoke when he presided over relief food distribution to flood victims in Mumbuni, Machakos county on Thursday.
The Wiper leader said as Azimio members, they will keep criticising President William Ruto's administration where necessary.
"As Azimio members, we have been saying it over and over. We won't stop talking," Kalonzo said.
He said Kenyans are filling the pinch of high taxation, adding, "If there is a country that can be baptised, we can nickname Kenya a nation of overtaxation".
"Kenyans aren't satisfied. Yesterday in Ruto's speech, Kenyans expected they could get relief. But, instead of relief, still doctors are striking, taxes are everywhere."
The Wiper leader further said corporate tax runs the risk of scaring away investors to neigbouring countries like Tanzania.
Kalonzo said the opposition will keep being vigilant since the Opposition's mandate is a Constitutional right.
"If we keep quiet, citizens will be drowned by this government and then we will have a real national disaster," Kalonzo said.
Former Defence CS Eugene Wamalwa told the government to declare the ongoing floods a national disaster.
"We want to ask the Kenya Kwanza government that this disaster we are witnessing in Kenya now is not for Machakos and Nairobi counties only. Almost 32 out of 47 counties have been affected by floods," he said.
"Meaning that this is a national crisis and as Azimio, we are demanding that a time has come when Kenya Kwanza should make up their minds and declare this a national disaster," Wamalwa said.
He said once declared a national disaster, many actors including state and non-state actors will come in to support flood victims across the country.
"Both national and county governments will come in alongside all our international partners. But, as usual, this administration takes lots of time before making a decision," Wamalwa said.
He said together with Kalonzo, they had recently warned the government against plan to reopen schools last Monday, but it was adamant only to make the decision at the eleventh hour past midnight on Sunday.
"They stayed the whole day until midnight is when they decided to postpone schools reopening. Many children had already travelled with lots of them getting stranded in Nairobi following the announcement because there is disorganisation in Kenya Kwanza government," Wamalwa said.
"We want to say that as we face this disaster, Kenya Kwanza is in itself, a disaster waiting to happen," Wamalwa said.
Jubilee secretary general Jeremiah Kioni on his part told President Ruto to safeguard devolution.
"Give money to counties and have maximum respect to devolution. Help it grow like others have done in the past," Kioni said.