Fourteen petitioners have gone to court, asking for a national referendum to end the terms of President William Ruto and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
They argue that the way these leaders have handled recent anti-government protests shows they might not be fit to govern.
According to the petitioners, Ruto and Gachagua have mishandled the ongoing political crisis.
They claim that the government used Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) against peaceful protesters and allegedly took some people away.
The petitioners argue that these actions violate the constitutional right of citizens to protest, as stated in Article 37 of the Constitution.
The petition notes, “The legitimacy crisis in Kenya is so severe that we are asking for the removal of the President and Deputy President through a referendum by the end of October 2024.”
It criticizes the use of KDF troops against unarmed citizens and accuses the police of allowing “political thugs and saboteurs” to interfere with protests.
The petitioners also take issue with President Ruto’s decision to accept Kenya’s designation as a non-NATO ally by the USA.
They argue that this decision was made without enough transparency and could harm Kenya’s national security and its policy of not aligning with any major power blocs.
In response to growing criticism, President Ruto has fired his entire Cabinet and introduced new austerity measures.
He has announced a new Cabinet, which includes familiar names like Prof. Kithure Kindiki (Interior), Aden Duale (Defence), Alice Wahome (Lands), and Soipan Tuya (Forestry).
Notably, Ruto has reassigned Tuya to Defence and Duale to Forestry.
Former Trade CS Rebecca Miano has been proposed as the new Attorney-General, while former Energy CS Davis Chirchir will take over the Roads and Transport Ministry.
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula has confirmed that all new Cabinet nominees, including those reappointed, will go through a thorough vetting process by Parliament.
