Elders summon Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter for fronting Waiguru impeachment motion

Nandi Hills Member of Parliament Alfred Keter has been summoned by elders over his planned motion to impeach Devolution and Planning Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru.

Mr Keter has already presented the motion to the National Assembly clerk, setting the stage for the impeachment process.

The elders want Keter to appear in person at a meeting scheduled for tomorrow in Nandi Hills township to explain why he is fronting a motion that is likely to cause ripples in the Jubilee coalition.

The elders belonging to the Nandi Council of Elders said they had to urgently plan the meeting so as to engage the MP on the merits and demerits of the motion before it gets to the floor of the House for debate.

Addressing the Press in Eldoret the elders - Thomas Mutai, Simon Nge’ny and William Sawe - faulted Keter for going against the advice of the Rift Valley region leaders and elders who wanted him to drop the motion. They said his action was tantamount to disrespect.

“The MP needs to appear before the council at an urgent crisis meeting on Saturday (tomorrow) to explain why he is going against the grain of the region’s leadership by fronting the impeachment motion against the Devolution Cabinet secretary,” Mr Ng’eny said.

According to Ng’eny, the MP should align his political stand to the Jubilee leaders’ course and drop his defiant attitude, which he observed will play against his political advantage in 2017.

“The country has been doing well economically since the Jubilee coalition took power. It is responsible for leaders, who form the coalition, to agree and toe the same line on such vital issues that may bring about a rift if not addressed,” added Mr Mutai.

POLITICAL GAIN

Mr Sawe called on leaders from the Rift Valley to support President Uhuru Kenyatta’s tenure and avoid confrontations that would help the Opposition gain political ground that it lost during the last General Election.

“This Government has prioritised the unity of all Kenyans and spurred economic growth especially through programmes that have benefited women and youth, which were neglected by previous regimes and should be fully supported,” Sawe said.

The leaders warned of unspecified political consequences against the MP should he fail to appear before them for deliberation on the underlying issues.

Keter, elected on a United Republican Party (URP), has vowed not to relent in his quest to ensure Ms Waiguru is sacked for the loss Sh791 million from the National Youth Service.

The MP successfully lobbied his colleagues in Parliament and secured the prerequisite signatures to initiate an impeachment process.

Should all Opposition MPs and those disgruntled from Jubilee gang up to back the motion, it would put the ruling coalition in a tight spot.