The National Assembly Speaker Hon Justin Muturi has stopped Nyali Member of Parliament Mohamed Ali’s bid to impeach Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia.
Speaker Muturi cited lack of evidence in the removal motion presented by Hon Ali on Tuesday.
“It is therefore my determination that the proposed motion is not admissible,” Speaker Muturi ruled
He directed the clerk to inform the Nyali MP of the decision to toss the motion.
“The ruling by the speaker was obvious given CS Macharia’s close relations with the Kenyatta business empire, his role while working in the banking sector and also his behind the scenes move in the Kenya Airports Authority and Kenya Airways financing saga”. Hon Ali said after speaker’s ruling
On June 16 2020, MP Ali tabled the motion to impeach CS Macharia in the National Assembly. In the petition signed by 90 Members of Parliament, Hon Ali accused CS Macharia of overseeing stalled government projects worth Ksh.100 billion and being part of the Afya House scandal that saw taxpayers lose Ksh.5.2 billion in 2016 when he was the Health CS.
“Cabinet Secretary James Macharia has failed to set up crucial infrastructure such as highways, bridges, ports and airports despite such projects being hailed as important for the country’s economic growth,” reads the petition.
The Transport CS was also blamed for failing to explain the loss of Ksh.1.5 billion that was meant for construction of housing projects in Nairobi by Suraya Property Group, which he (Ali) has linked to Macharia.
The Nyali MP, popularly known as Jicho Pevu, further says CS Macharia has sidelined transport stakeholders in the implementation of the directive to have all cargo from the Port of Mombasa transported through the Standard Gauge Railway, thus causing public suffering.
“This has caused a lot of public suffering in the transport sector which has led to many businesses closing down and loss of over 100,000 jobs,” reads the petition. “It is very annoying that the Cabinet Secretary continues to ignore stakeholders in the implementation ministry projects.”
MP Ali had given the notice to table a motion seeking to remove CS Macharia from office over his order to use the SGR to transport cargo from Mombasa to Naivasha ICD.
However, CS Macharia said he will not be cowed by the impeachment threats adding that he is determined to continue in implementing various projects he had initiated.
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