Wanjigi’s Audacious Plot to Remove Ruto from Power in Two Months

Safina Party leader Jimi Wanjigi has called on the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition to leverage its newly affirmed majority status in Parliament to initiate impeachment proceedings against President William Ruto by March 2025.

This appeal follows a recent High Court ruling that declared Azimio as the majority party, overturning National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula’s earlier designation of the Kenya Kwanza Alliance as the majority.

Impeachment Push

Speaking at the burial of Safina Deputy Party Leader Willis Otieno’s father in Siaya County, Wanjigi urged Azimio MPs to seize the moment and use their newfound numerical strength to oust President Ruto. “He has taught us that a Deputy President can be impeached without completing a five-year term. Now that Azimio is the majority, they can take this golden opportunity to give the country a fresh start. We need not wait for the five years to end,” Wanjigi declared. He warned that if MPs fail to act by March, they will have squandered a historic chance to correct the country’s trajectory.

Wanjigi’s bold proposal has found an ally in Siaya Governor James Orengo, a key figure in the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).

Orengo echoed Wanjigi’s sentiments, urging Azimio MPs to leverage their majority status to push for pro-people policies and hold the government accountable. “I am asking my party, ODM, not to lose what the High Court of Kenya has affirmed—that Azimio is the majority party. The court is giving you what belongs to you. Don’t relinquish it. Instead of sitting at the table with those in power, use this opportunity to reclaim your rightful place,” Orengo said.

The High Court ruling, delivered by a three-judge bench comprising Justices Jairus Ngaah, Lawrence Mugambi, and John Chigiti, has upended the political landscape. The court nullified Speaker Moses Wetang’ula’s October 2022 decision, which had designated President Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza Alliance as the majority party, declaring it unconstitutional. This ruling not only reaffirms Azimio’s majority status but also paves the way for its MPs to take control of key parliamentary committees, potentially shifting the balance of power.

Complications

However, the path to impeachment is fraught with challenges. While Wanjigi and Orengo are rallying Azimio MPs to act, the coalition’s unity remains in question. ODM leader Raila Odinga, who has recently engaged in a political détente with President Ruto, has not publicly endorsed the impeachment push. Some of Odinga’s allies, including National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohamed and several MPs who joined Ruto’s Cabinet, have insisted on maintaining a cooperative stance with the government.

Governor Orengo, however, remains undeterred. He criticized the current political climate, warning that Kenya is heading in the wrong direction. “The country is angry, and the citizens are frustrated. Talking about elections two-and-a-half years away is only making things worse,” Orengo said. He emphasized the need for leaders with conviction, rather than career politicians, to steer the country toward meaningful change.

Wanjigi’s call for impeachment is not just a political maneuver; it reflects growing public discontent with the Ruto administration. The Safina leader pointed to Kenya’s crippling debt burden and economic challenges as evidence of the government’s failures. “The country is in an economic intensive care unit,” Wanjigi said, urging MPs to act decisively to avert further decline.

As the clock ticks toward Wanjigi’s March deadline, the question remains: Can Azimio muster the unity and resolve to impeach President Ruto? The High Court ruling has handed the coalition a powerful tool, but its success will depend on whether its leaders can set aside internal divisions and prioritize the nation’s interests over personal and political gains.

For now, Jimi Wanjigi’s audacious plan has injected a new sense of urgency into Kenya’s political discourse.

As the political climate intensifies, all eyes are on the Azimio coalition to see whether it will heed Wanjigi’s call and pursue impeachment proceedings against President Ruto—a move that could reshape Kenya’s political future.