Senate Speaker Amason Kingi has dealt Rigathi Gachagua’s ally, John Methu, a blow after rejecting the Nyandarua Senator’s request for a special Senate sitting.
Methu wrote to Kingi in a letter dated December 27, 2024, requesting a Senate sitting to address the recent cases of abductions of government critics. The letter was received by the Senate clerk on December 30.
In his letter, Methu faulted the National Police Service (NPS) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) for denial of responsibility for abductions.
In a rejoinder, Kingi rejected the request citing non-compliance with Standing Order 33(1), which requires the request to come from the Majority or Minority Leader.
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi making an address during the Young Lawyers Conference, during the ongoing 29th East Africa Law Society Annual General Meeting in Kampala, Uganda on Thursday, November 28, 2024.
Amason Kingi
“I note that the request is anchored on Standing Order 33(1) of the Senate Standing Orders which provides that- ‘Whenever during a Session the Senate stands adjourned, whether or not a day has been appointed for the next meeting, the Speaker may, on the request of the Senate Majority Leader or the Senate Minority Leader, and in each case with the support of at least fifteen Senators, appoint a day for a special sitting of the Senate’,” Kingi stated.
He added, “From the foregoing. it is clear that your request does not meet the requirements set out in standing order 33(1) for the following reasons- A request for a special sitting should originate from the Senate Majority Leader or the Senate Minority Leader; a request for a special sitting is to be supported by at least fifteen senators.”
As per the Standing Order, such a request also needs to have the support of at least 15 Senators.
Methu’s letter on Monday only piled more pressure on the state, which was already under fire from Kenyans to account for at least six young people who went missing since the start of December.
The spate of abductions sparked a wave of demonstrations across several cities countrywide, with the latest protests taking place on Monday. Since the protests, five of the individuals who went missing including Billy Mwangi, Peter Muteti, and Rony Kiplagat have been reunited with their families.
Cartoonist Gideon Kibet—known as Kibet Bull, also resurfaced, claiming to have been abandoned in Luanda, Vihiga County.
Meanwhile, despite Methu’s attempt to have a Senate sitting hitting a wall, former DP Gachagua’s allies remain intent on piling pressure on Ruto’s government on the daunting issue of abductions.
On Tuesday, Kiambu Senator Karungo Wa Thang’wa was accompanied by several other allies of the impeached DP as they issued several demands to President William Ruto.
Among the list of demands issued by the lawmakers include the establishment of an independent public inquiry commission to investigate the alarming series of public abductions targeting citizens perceived to be critics of the President and the executive.
The lawmakers also called for the examination of the politicisation efforts within police services and forces and other independent institutions.