A section of Mau Mau fighters from the Mt Kenya region has moved to court seeking the removal of Deputy President William Ruto from office.
Led by their patron Michael Kurungia, the fighters accused the deputy president of concentrating on other responsibilities; a move they say infringes the oath he took before taking over the office.
In an application filed under urgency, on Monday, March 21, the Mau Mau fighters want the court to declare that Ruto has committed a crime under the Oaths and statutory declaration Act cap 15(ii) of laws of Kenya.
“The Deputy President William Ruto has failed to perform the functions conferred to him by the Constitution,” they said.
The group further claimed that the former Eldoret North MP has violated article 147(1) (2) of the Constitution and he is not acting as their principal assistant of the president instead he is doing his own functions.
“Unless the orders sought are granted, the public is going to suffer irreparable loss and damage,” the court documents read.
While accusing Ruto of failing to execute his mandates as stipulated in the Kenyan Constitution 2010, Kurungia wants the court to restrain the second in command from using his office and his residential home in conducting meetings of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) until the case is heard and determined.
They wondered why the deputy president was not respecting the Constitution he is expecting to use to lead the country.
However, Ruto who was recently endorsed as the UDA presidential flag bearer in this year’s General Election has insisted that he will not be coerced to resign even as pressure mounts on him to quit.
“You know I am not going to leave under anybody’s pleasure. I was elected by the people of Kenya. Those who voted for me have not asked to quit so who are you to ask me to quit,” William Ruto said.
