Raila Odinga, the leader of the Azimio la Umoja party, started a signature-gathering campaign dubbed Tumechoka Citizens on Tuesday, July 11, to criticize President William Ruto’s administration.
In a speech at the Stephen Kalonzo Center in Nairobi, Raila asked all Kenyans to join the petition in opposition to Ruto and his running mate, Rigathi Gachagua.
Raila claimed that the Ruto administration had deviated from popular opinion and disregarded complaints made about the Finance Act 2023.
According to the website tumechoka.com, “Having read and understood the intention of the promoters of this initiative, I hereby Support the Citizens’ initiative to remove Mr. William Ruto from office as President and Mr. Rigathi Gachagua from office as Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya.”
All 47 counties will participate in the commencement of the signature collection effort. Kenyans were asked to sign the petition in big numbers to voice their displeasure with the existing government.
Raila asserted that it was the responsibility of the populace to safeguard their future and reject pointless tax burdens in order to advance the political rhetoric of the opposition.
“The signature will show that Raila is not speaking for himself, but for millions of people who are walking together with him,” the former Prime Minister stated.
On her part, Narc Kenya Party Leader Martha Karua stated that the signatures were not necessarily meant to impeach President Ruto but to demonstrate defiance against his regime, and force him to listen to the people.
Her statement was contrary to the content on the website, which clearly stated that the signatures would dictate the way forward in the ouster of Ruto and Gachagua.
Karua explained, unlike the propaganda being peddled around, the signature collection provided a platform for Kenyans to express their grievances and disappointments.
“We will hold as many meetings as we can all over Kenya because there isn’t a site big enough to convene a general meeting of the Kenyan populace.
“The populace will conduct its own petition-based referendum. The majority of Kenyans will be heard by the time we reach the barrier of 10 million, she said, stressing that Azimio was long-discredited for claiming to have the backing of the populace.
The high cost of living, which Raila claimed was made worse by the new tax measures imposed to raise money at the expense of the welfare of the populace, was at the center of his anti-government demonstration.
“We are sick and weary of the exorbitant cost of living, tax increases, and the endemic corruption in this government.
“We are fed up with being misled and treated like fools. We are fed up with a government that doesn’t care about us, Raila argued.
The campaign to collect signatures is the most recent in a string of protests and marches that the opposition has organized in recent months.
President’s removal from office
A Kenyan president may be impeached or declared incompetent to stand down from office.
There are two reasons for impeaching a president in Kenya:
Abuse of authority, corruption, or treason are all examples of serious violations of the Constitution or other laws.
committing a crime, such as genocide, war crimes, or crimes against humanity, in violation of national or international law.
A motion introduced in the National Assembly requires the backing of at least one-third of all MPs.
If the motion is approved, it is referred to the Senate, where the President will face trial and have the chance to defend himself and offer testimony.
The Senate then decides whether to uphold the President’s accusations. The motion to remove the President must receive the backing of two-thirds of all senators.
The position of President may also become vacant in the event that the incumbent passes away or tenders his or her resignation in writing through letter to the Speaker of the National Assembly.
