Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi can now breathe a sigh of relief after the National Assembly select committee investigating his dismissal cleared him.
Speaking on the floor of the house on Monday, May 13, the select committee chair Naomi Waqo said four members dissented from the committee's ruling.
“In its report, the committee made the following findings of allegations against the Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock. The allegation under ground one; gross violation of the constitution or any other law, ground two on serious reasons for believing that the cabinet secretary has committed crime under national law and ground three as outlined in the special motion are unsubstantiated,” Wako stated.
Following the verdict, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula said the committee’s ruling is final and there shall be no further proceedings. Speaker Wetang’ula also dissolved the eleven-member committee.
“The select committee has discharged its mandate. Being an act of committee in nature, the select committee now stands dissolved. Under article 152 of the constitution sub-article 9(a) if the committee finds the allegations are unsubstantiated no further proceedings shall be made,” Wetang’ula stated.
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On May 2 the National Assembly voted to impeach the Agriculture CS over claims of gross conduct related to the fake subsidized fertilizer scandal.
Bumula MP Jack Wamboka moved the motion to impeach the CS, which was supported by 149 members and opposed by 36.
Parliamentary parties which include Kenya Kwanza Alliance, Azimio La Umoja, and Jubilee Party nominated members that formed the select committee investigating CS Linturi.
The committee members were; Naomi Waqo, Robert Mbui, Racheal Nyamai, Samuel Chepkonga, George Murugara, T.J Kajwang, and Jane Maina.
Others included; Moses Injendi, Kassim Tandaza, Catherine Omanyo, and Yussuf Farah.