National Assembly Speaker, Moses Wetang’ula, has announced a special sitting of the House next Monday to receive and debate the report from the select committee tasked with investigating the proposed dismissal of Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi.
Wetang’ula, in a communication to members of Parliament, said that the special sitting scheduled for May 13, 2024 at 2:30 pm, will deliberate on the report of the committee and the findings by committee members.
In the notification by Speaker Wetang’ula, the House Business Committee has also designated urgent business to be discussed during the special sitting.
Members of the National Assembly will consider the Senate’s amendments to the Division of Revenue Bill, 2024 and committee of the whole House on consideration of the aforementioned Senate amendments to the Division of Revenue Bill
Additionally, lawmakers will engage in the Committee of the Whole House and Third Reading of the National Disaster Risk Management Bill, 2023.
Legislators are also expected to debate a Report from the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning on the Ratification of the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting.
Wetang’ula made the announcement just moments after the select committee on the impeachment of Linturi began its pre-trial hearing with an appearance of the CS on Tuesday, May 7, 2024.
The 11-member Committee, led by chairperson Naomi Waqo (Marsabit County), met with the concerned parties, including the sponsor of the motion, Jack Wamboka and his legal representatives led by Senior Counsel, John Khaminwa as well as the CS, Linturi and his team led by Senior Counsel, Muthomi Thiankolu.
While addressing the Committee, Wamboka said he moved the motion to safeguard the interest of farmers.
“I am here to represent the interests of all farmers in the country and beyond. We will be seeking the indulgence of the Committee to summon the Principal Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and Chief Operating Officer of Kenya Bureau of Standards. I am ready and I am committed to seeing this process to its conclusion,” Wamboka said.
On his part, CS Linturi requested his advocate, Thiankolu to speak on his behalf. The Senior Counsel to the Committee that they planned to raise the issue of admissibility of the Motion.
Wamboka intends to present eight witnesses who include six farmers and two experts, while CS Linturi’s defense team intends to call one witness, who is Linturi himself.
“Regarding the number of witnesses and whether the sponsor can call other witnesses will be decided by this Select Committee and communicated tomorrow,” Waqo said.
During the pre-trial hearing, the concerned parties exchanged documents. The pre-trial hearing aimed to establish ground rules for the official hearings.
“We have an affidavit of 381 pages and we have audio visual evidence which we shall present during this hearing,” Thiankolu said.
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