Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua Impeached by the Senate

Following a two-day hearing, the Senate upheld Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s impeachment.

He becomes Kenya’s first deputy president to face impeachment.

At least 53 senators voted to uphold the initial allegation.

Mwengi Mutuse, MP for Kibwezi West, moved the impeachment motion in the National Assembly last week.

A total of 281 MPs voted in favor of the removal motion, while 44 voted to rescue his fledgling political career from an abrupt end.

Mutuse preferred 11 charges, and MPs decided to remove President William Ruto’s chief assistant.

The claims include egregious violations of the constitution, undermining the President, undermining devolution, irregular wealth acquisition, openly attacking a judge, threatening the acting Kemsa CEO, promoting ethnicity, and insubordination to the President, among others.

Before the Senate voted to uphold the impeachment, his lawyers stormed out in protest as senators voted against extending the process until Saturday.

This came after the embattled Deputy President failed to appear at the afternoon plenary, and his lead lawyer, Paul Mwite, later said that he had taken ill and had been admitted to Karen Hospital.

“The sad reality is that the DP has been taken ill and is currently in hospital. That is the sad reality,” Muite said.

He said Gachagua was suffering from severe chest pains and because of this, he could not appear at the Senate in person.

The DP had been at the hearing proceedings since Wednesday when it began in the senate.

“I would like to inform honourable senators that I was able to contact doctors at Karen Hospital. There is a team of doctors who are looking after the Deputy President. Because of his condition, I was not able to talk to him directly,” Muite said.

“I was however informed by his doctors that he is currently suffering from intense chest pains. I did not want to inquire beyond that.”