Duale's comment on Ruto impeachment causes heated debate in Parliament

Majority Leader Aden Duale on Tuesday afternoon elicited a heated debate in the National Assembly after making a side comment on the impeachment threat against Deputy President William Ruto.

Duale was making contribution on a presidential memorandum when he complained over the loud consultations between Suba North MP John Mbadi and Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung'wa who were seated behind him.

"Speaker, what is happening here? We have facilities for consultation at the back of this chamber. If ODM wants to consult with Tanga Tanga on the most frivolous purported impeachment motion which they cant manage because they couldn't impeach Kaimenyi and Waiguru. If you cant impeach Waiguru, how can they impeach the Deputy President."

The comment immediately drew protest from Mbadi who denied ODM had ever sponsored an impeachment but warned that if they ever did - it would succeed.

"I respect the majority Leader but he is misleading the House and attempting to rewrite history. The impeachment motion against Waiguru was done by Jubilee and they run away to a hotel in Naivasha with their mistresses. When we bring an impeachment motion, it will be a serious one not where you escape with your mistress," Mbadi stated.

The Minority Leader was making reference to an impeachment motion filed by then Igembe South MP Mithika Linturi who later abandoned the motion.

His estranged wife would later tell a Nairobi court that she had been sent by the Deputy President to convince Linturi to abandon the motion which she did by eloping to Lave Naivasha Sopa Lodge on the day of the impeachment.

Duale hit back at Mbadi by making reference to an incident on Monday where the ODM Chairman was booed while attending the burial of Msambweni MP Suleiman Dori.

"Mr Speaker, Mbadi should read the signs of the time. But I want to go on record and challenge the Mbadi and Ichungwa to tell Kenyans why Tanga Tanga and ODM are holding informal meeting here. They must tell the country," Duale replied.

Ichung'wa denied discussing the impeachment motion with Mbadi - clarifying that he was consoling his colleague after he was booed in Kwale.

"The Majority Leader is raising political temperature with this talk of a meeting between Tanga Tanga and ODM. I was only consoling Hon Mbadi for the debacle in Kwale. He has refused to see the sign of the times and also inform Senator Orengo that impeachment of the Deputy President is not easy," Ichung'wa stated.

"Hon Ichung'wa can only console me for losing a member of my party. As for what happened to me, there is no need for consoling because I was looking for the earliest funeral to respond to Ruto who has been using funerals to make political attacks," Mbadi said before the speaker halted the heated debate.