Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot has now called for the resignation of National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) Chairperson Rev. Samuel Kobia and his entire team, accusing them of “sleeping on the job.”
Cheruiyot claimed that the NCIC has consistently remained silent regarding Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s perceived inciteful and divisive remarks over the past couple of years, which now form one of the 11 grounds in the impeachment motion against him.
Speaking on the floor of the House as he gave notice of motion for Gachagua’s impeachment on Thursday evening, Cheruiyot also urged for an audit of public institutions.
“We have institutions that are charged with the responsibility of making sure that we are a cohesive society. After the 2010 Constitution, we set up the NCIC, and it was our sincere hope that that commission perhaps would help us – especially leaders – learn better from our utterances and say things that leave the rest of Kenyans feeling that they’re proud patriots, that the things we do make them feel at home in this republic,” he said.
“It’s unfortunate that despite this commission being funded by taxpayers, I have not seen them live upto their expectation, and perhaps part of the challenges that will emerge even post this impeachment process, is to audit how some of these institutions continue to draw from the exchequer yet not live upto their mandate.”
The Kericho Senator went ahead to slam NCIC boss Kobia over a recent warning to Parliament that proceeding with the impeachment against DP Gachagua could likely divide the country.
He further compared the commission’s activity during the current and the past regime, where he cited a 2022 supposed ban on words like “hatupangwingwi,” which was synonymous with the camp of then Deputy President William Ruto, to which Cheruiyot belonged.
According to him, it was hypocritical of the NCIC to censure such words then on the grounds that they could cause division, yet remain silent in the face of DP Gachagua’s alleged flurry of inciteful remarks over recent years.
The legislator hence urged the State body commissioners, led by Chairperson Kobia, to be ready to tender their resignations upon the conclusion of impeachment proceedings against the DP.
“I saw them (NCIC) the other day issue a statement saying if you carry out this impeachment process, it will divide the country. I want to tell that Reverend Kobia – you better resign! I have never seen a public officer that is as disgraced as that gentleman,” said Cheyuiyot.
“I remember in the last term, this is the same institution that was so vigilant that would ban us even from coining phrases like ‘hatupangwingwi’ and say that those phrases are divisive to the country. But I have seen for the last two years, these clips that are being shown being whipped and hurting Kenyans on a daily basis, and [they] have kept quiet about it. But finally when the National Assembly has moved to say that we must put a stop to this, they finally show up on stage to say that this will divide Kenyans. Don’t Kenyans deserve better from their public institutions?”
He added: “I hope that by the end of this particular exercise, all the commissioners of that particular institution will find it fit to resign so that we can have Kenyans who understand how we can build a more cohesive society than those that are gatekeepers of those that push divisive narratives.”
