MPs sign motion to impeach CS Rotich

At least 96 members of the National Assembly have supported a motion to have National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich fired.

The motion by Kimilili Member of Parliament Didmus Barasa wants Rotich censured for gross misconduct and abuse of office charges relating to the sugar importation and Ruaraka land saga.

It requires 24 more signatures for the motion to be tabled in National Assembly.

Rotich is accused of issuing four gazette notices between September and October of 2017 that opened the floodgates to the influx of sugar — some contaminated with mercury, lead and copper — into the country.

The Treasury CS also faces charges of unprocedurally making a Ksh.1.5 billion payout in the controversial Ruaraka land saga; money that had not been budgeted for.

CS Rotich is listed alongside former Industrialization CS Adan Mohammed and ex-Agriculture Minister Willy Bett for allegedly messing the country’s sugar sector in allowing duty free sugar imports and consequently tax evasion.

Their involvement splitting the joint trade and agriculture departmental committees probing existence of contraband and contaminated sugar in the country.

Debate on the report was deferred to this week Wednesday after a section of the members protested that the final report had been doctored to cushion and shield the three from culpability.

While the final draft recommended for personal responsibilities for the failures of the three, the tabled report had been changed to read that the three be further investigated, a move perceived as sugar coating the report to protect the cabinet secretaries.

If the impeachment motion sails through parliament, then the National Assembly has to set up an 11-member select committee to probe the allegations against the CS within 10 days after which the House may be required to vote on whether to dismiss the CS or not.

If MPs approve the dismissal motion, the decision is communicated to the president via the Speaker of the National Assembly upon which the president is required to dismiss the cabinet secretary.