There is mounting discontent among Kenyans regarding President Ruto’s government, as citizens grapple with excessive taxes and a perceived lack of concern for their well-being. Some are eagerly anticipating whether the president will change his approach, while others are now proposing the possibility of impeaching him for what they view as a disregard for the welfare of the electorate. One prominent figure exploring the idea of impeachment is former presidential aspirant Ekuru Aukot, who played a key role in crafting Kenya’s constitution.
Ekuru Aukot’s consideration of impeachment gained traction following a social media cartoon illustrating the burden of excessive taxation in Kenya. A Twitter user suggested that it might be time for Kenyans to take matters into their own hands and remove the president through constitutional means. The Twitter user proposed an alternative to impeachment: “We can bypass the impeachment route, amend the constitution, and terminate this government’s term. There is nothing wrong with an employer dismissing an underperforming employee before the contract ends. Tupunguze mizigo” (Let’s lighten the load).
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In response to this tweet, Ekuru Aukot advocated for the removal of the president from power by invoking Article 1 of the Kenyan Constitution. He asserted, “Kenyans must agree that the heaviest burden in Kenya right now is the government of Kenya under the KK administration. Therefore, invoking our sovereign power and authority prescribed in Article 1 of the CoK2010, we should be able to terminate our employment contract with this KK administration immediately.”
Article 1 of the Kenyan Constitution states:
“All sovereign power belongs to the people of Kenya and shall be exercised only in accordance with this Constitution.
(2) The people may exercise their sovereign power either directly or through their democratically elected representatives.
(3) Sovereign power under this Constitution is delegated to the following State organs, which shall perform their functions in accordance with this Constitution.”
Meanwhile, Oburu Oginga, the brother of Raila Odinga, has also called on the president to step down, citing his alleged admission to Kenya Kwanza MPs that he is powerless to address the high cost of living.
Despite the growing chorus of voices hinting at impeachment, questions persist regarding the feasibility of such a motion passing in parliament, where policies are formulated and amended. Given that the parliament has a significant number of Ruto’s supporters, it appears challenging to table such motions successfully. Recently, Mwingi West MP Charles Nguna suggested that the president had undermined the power of parliament since assuming office, as most bills and policies are frequently blocked at the statehouse by the president himself.
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