Gachagua impeached

By Peter Ochieng

Embattled Deputy President (DP) Rigathi Gachagua has been impeached.

Members of Parliament (MPs) overwhelmingly voted in support of an impeachment motion, tabled by Kibwezi West MP Eckomas Mwengi Mutuse.

The legislature tabled 11 grounds against the DP, with 281 MPs voting to impeach him. 

The number is 10 less that the 291 MPs who signed the motion.

44 legislatures voted no, while only one abstained.

Gachagua personally appeared on the floor of the House on Tuesday evenning to defend himself against the 11 grounds.

After his two-hour defence that based on giving responses to all the 11 counts, Gachagua urged lawmakers to exercise impartiality while making a decision on his fate.

“Search your conscience and decide if Rigathi Gachagua is guilty of any of these allegations or if he is merely undergoing a political process. If you find that there are no grounds to impeach the Deputy President, please make the right decision," he urged.

He reminded MPs that he underwent persecution in the hands of retired President Uhuru Kenyatta's administration for four years, when he elected to support President William Ruto, then Deputy President's 2022 presidential ambitions.

“But as you do so, many members in this House remember what President William Ruto went through, and most of us stood with him. Rigathi Gachagua underwent four years of persecution. Others faced persecution, but we took a firm stand,” he recalled.

In response, the motion mover - MP Mutuse said he had provided enough evidence to persuade MPs to sent Gachagua packing.

After a long day of forth and back, MPs voted in favour of the motion making Gachagua the first DP to be impeached under the 2010 constitution.

According to Article 150 of the constitution, the Deputy President may be removed from office on the ground of physical or mental incapacity to perform the functions of the office; or on impeachment.

Under impeachment, he or she may be removed from office on the ground of a gross violation of a provision of the constitution or any other law; where there are serious reasons to believe that the Deputy President has committed a crime under national or international law; or for gross misconduct.

National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula will now notify his Senate counterpart, Amason Jeffa Kingi of the proceedings in the National Aseembly, in two days time.

If the Senate backs the motion too, Gachagua will removed from office.