National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi, who was recently crowned the Mt Kenya region spokesman, yesterday dared his critics to go ahead with his impeachment motion threat.

Muturi said he was ready to deal with the motion once it is brought to the House.

Speaking at St Mark’s Secondary School grounds in Ena, Embu East, during the ACK Embu Diocese education Sunday, Muturi laughed off the impeachment threats, saying those pushing it did not understand the Constitution.

“There are procedures in the Constitution on how to impeach the Speaker. Those who feel they will meet the threshold, let them bring it on,” said Muturi.

“A person who has been in the Assembly for just two years now thinks impeaching the Speaker is a simple thing.” 

Yesterday, Muturi said despite the impeachment threats, he would continue serving the Mt Kenya region as its spokesman.

He said he would traverse the region on his mission to unite the people and leaders so that they can speak in one voice.

The Speaker was responding to claims that a section of top government officials had hatched a plot to have him impeached.

Mixed reactions

“I will unite all the leaders in this region so that we can push the agenda of development forward,” said Muturi.

Two weeks ago, Muturi was crowned the Mt Kenya spokesman at a controversial ceremony held at the Mukurwe wa Nyagathaga shrine in Murang’a county.

As part of the coronation, Muturi had to undergo various rituals. His coronation came after he was installed as a Kikuyu elder in a ceremony held at Njuri Ncheke shrine in Nchiru, Meru county, in a ceremony that brought together elders from the Embu, Kikuyu and Meru communities.

His coronation has, however, elicited mixed reactions among leaders in the region with some dismissing it as inconsequential.

Governors Kiraitu Murungi (Meru), Muthomi Njuki (Tharaka Nithi) and Martin Wambora (Embu) supported his coronation.

In a statement, the leaders said the country was approaching a transition and the Mt Kenya region needed to find a common voice to articulate its issues.

But Murang’a Governor Mwangi wa Iria, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya, Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru, former Kiambu Governor William Kabogo and former Agriculture CS Mwangi Kiunjuri criticised the coronation.

Last Friday, Wa Iria led a group of the Kikuyu Council of Elders and Kiama Kia Ma officials to cleanse the venue. The cleansing, he said, had nullified Muturi’s coronation.

Waiguru dismissed the ritual saying it held little political significance while Munya said it was inconsequential. This is not the first time Muturi is facing threats of impeachment. Plans to remove him in 2015 failed.

The motion was being pushed by Kibwezi West MP Patrick Musimba who accused Muturi of failing to protect the dignity and integrity of Parliament.

This was after some legislators accused him of supporting bills that favour the Executive.

BBI controversy

Only five MPs – Musimba, the seconder of the motion Nicholas Gumbo (then Rarienda MP), Opiyo Wandayi (Ugunja), Suba South MP John Mbadi and former Shinyalu MP Silverse Anami – supported the plan.

Other MPs decided not to take a stand and instead urged MPs to look for ways of saving the image of the House over accusations of improprieties.

In 2019, Muturi came under fire after publicly declaring that he supported a referendum on the Constitution, which raised a storm among legislators who accused him of taking sides.

Muturi argued that Parliament cannot be relied upon to legislate on the Building Bridges Initiative and that the process ought to be people-driven.

“Politicians have a way of picking what is in their interest and running away with it. Parliament can only receive the document in form of a policy or a Bill,’’ Muturi said.