Senators want IG Police fired, EACC,Cabinet dissolved

Senators have asked President William Ruto to dissolve the Cabinet, abolish unconstitutional offices and fire the Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome.

While debating the State of the Nation motion, the lawmakers said that the anger that has been displayed by the public especially during the protests is as a result of anger on wastage, corruption and impunity by the leaders.

Senate Majority leader Aaron Cheruiyot (Kericho) while moving the motion, said that leaders have lost touched with reality which has led to the public anger.

“We are deeply embarrassed that it has taken young children to point to us that we are naked as leaders. I have reflected deeply the last few days, and looked through my own journey as an individual and asked myself very serious questions. What is it that perhaps I should have done better,” posed Cheruiyot.

“This is an indictment of us as leaders in this country. This calls for retrospection, it calls for serious empathy as leaders. The challenges we face as a country, we have very limited choice on whether to tackle or not and on what has been our input to get the country in a better place.”

Call for arrest

While seconding the motion, Senate Minority Leader Stewart Madzayo called on the arrest and prosecution of the Police officers who used live bullets on the peaceful protestors.

“All the police officers who used live bullets and shot the young people should be prosecuted and charged with murder. The law must be followed,” said Madzayo.

He further called on President William Ruto to fire all the corrupt individuals in his administration to regain confidence in his administration.

Senate Majority Whip Boni Khalwale (Kakamega) decried the wasteful expenses by the National government saying that public servants are very corrupt.

Khalwale made radical proposals to President William Ruto to consider disbanding and reconstituting the Cabinet, disbanding the unconstitutional offices and firing non-performing advisors.

“Mr President dissolve the cabinet and reconstitute it. Mr President disband offices outside the constitution including CASs, including prime cabinet secretary it is not in the constitution of Kenya including offices of first Lady, advisors, if advisors are important then what Mr David Ndii is doing is not advice its mis-advise. The president should restructure the security organ by firing people including the Inspector General of Police,” said Khalwale.

According to Khalwale, the public is angry at the civil servants because of public display of wealth and opulence which the public are questioning unless members of the public can quickly see its source.

 “We are where we are today, because Kenyans are angry with the on goings in the country. It was never the Finance Bill. It was simply a trigger. Why? …because public servants led by Ministers are very corrupt and people are angry,” said Khalwale.

Restructure organs

The senator further said that Ruto should quickly restructure security organs by firing some people.

Khalwale was specific with the firing of Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome over the unrest witnessed in the country due to the anti-Finance Bill 2024 and anti-government protests.

While contributing to the motion, Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna said that Kenyans want to see contrition, remorse and taking responsibilities for everything that has happened that has lead us to this particular moment.

“I tender unreserved apology to the people of Kenya if I have contributed in any way by my conduct by my speech to bringing the country to where it is today I apologize for that. We can do better and these moment calls for us to tell the young people what to do. We need to demonstrate that we are hearing what they are saying and look ourselves in the mirror. It must start with us,” said Sifuna.

Mohammed Chute (Marsabit) in supporting the motion said that the country is rotten to the core, adding that the biggest problem is display of wealth from politicians and those in the executive.

“Our problem is not the issue of the Finance bill only. This country is rotten, it is rotten to the core. You will find a MP goes to a fundraiser and contributes Sh20 million and he starts with Sh5 million. I saw a Cabinet Secretary wearing a watch worth Sh3.2 million, his belt Sh500,000, his shoes Sh680,000 and his suit almost Sh1.2 million. If we want to stop this as a Senate we must start from the counties,” said Chute.

On his part Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei renewed calls for all state officers to undergo a mandatory lifestyle audit, pointing out that the recent protests and demands by the protestors require an immediate response through a wealth audit.

Cherargei told his colleagues that some of the protesters were concerned over how lawmakers had accumulated wealth yet the government was sinking in a debt trap.

“We must start doing lifestyle audits to all of us, state officers and all governors. Any person who is serving in a public office we must do lifestyle audit,” Cherargei stated.

Additionally, the Senators went after the Members of Parliament (MPs), citing that they embezzled the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), affording them opulent lifestyles. Further legislators hit out at the MPs stating that the CDF should be disbanded and development realigned to the county governments.