MP regrets supporting Gachagua’s impeachment motion

By Peter Ochieng

A Member of Parliament (MP) has expressed regrets, days after voting in favour of an impeachment motion against Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

According to Imenti Central MP Moses Kirima, lawmakers from the larger Mt. Kenya East region supported the motion with a view of having Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kithure Kindiki appointed to replace Gachagua.

Kindiki is a native of Tharaka Nithi County, which is part of the Mt. Kenya East region.

"We believed as Meru MPs that number two is supposed to take that place of number one. So, we signed on the strength that Kindiki is going to be appointed as the DP. But from the time we passed that impeachment things are not as they were," Kirima noted.

Ahead of the 2022 general elections, several MPs from the Mt. Kenya region wanted President William Ruto (then Deputy President) to nominate Kindiki, (then Tharaka Nithi Senator) as his running mate.

After periods of back and forth, Ruto settled on Gachagua (then Mathira MP) as the right person to deputise him.

Since Gachagua was nominated ahead of Kindiki, MP Kirima argues that the interior CS should replace him if the Senate upholds the impeachment motion against him.

With massive lobbying from other regions of Mt.Kenya, and other parts of the country, the MP now says Kindiki’s appointment as Gachagua’s successor is not guaranteed.

"A number of communities are lobbying to have their own as the number two. Now we are hearing of somebody like Irungu Kang'ata, they are even lobbying us to support them. There is also Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah, there is Anne Waiguru, they are also mentioning Gladys Wanga, and even sometimes they are bringing the name of Raila Odinga. So, it's not as straightforward as it was, so I am very concerned," he added.

Senators are expected to tackle the impeachment motion, on Wednesday and Thursday this week.