Senator Onyonka weighs in on impeachment of Gachagua

By Robert Mutasi

The impeachment process against Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is politically charged, Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka has said. 

Speaking to Citizen TV on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, Onyonka pointed out the process had a political charge to it, while urging the MPs to strictly follow the constitutional guidelines.

He added that though the process of impeachment has political motivations, the main task of the Senate is to assess whether constitutional statutes have been violated. 

He thus underscored the fact that it is the legal merits that ought to take precedence and not any base or influence of political affiliation or a certain political agenda.

"Impeachment of the Deputy President Gachagua is political in nature, but the threshold that is supposed to be used by the Senate is whether there was a breach of constitutional statues," Onyonka said in the interview.

He also clarified that members of ODM have voiced themselves differently on debates relating to the possible impeachment of Gachagua because they are part of the expanded government.

According to Onyonka, the passion the members of ODM had in the impeachment process created a perceived feeling among the public that the impeachment process was personal vendetta and not a genuine governance concern.

"ODM members were speaking passionately about DP Gachagua's issues because of their involvement in the broad-based government. As a result, it appeared to the public that MPs had become a lynching mob intent on punishing him," Onyonka stated.

The impeachment process against Deputy President Gachagua has attracted massive attention from the public, with both supporters and critics differing on whether it is driven by political interests or the need to address constitutional breaches. 

Some political analysts have argued that such a process might set a precedent for future political impeachments, thus weakening the integrity of constitutional institutions.

Onyanka's remarks will, no doubt, reopen debate about the balance between politics and legality in this process. 

With the Senate now set to play a critical role in determining Gachagua's fate, all eyes will be on how the upper house navigates this delicate task in ensuring justice is served while maintaining political neutrality.

He concluded by appealing to his Senate colleagues to give reasonable attention to evidence presented before making any decisions and warned that a politically engineered verdict may have far-reaching consequences for democratic institutions in the country.