On Tuesday, Kenyan legislators cast their votes on a proposal to kick the deputy president out of office. This followed an intense day of discussions, featuring a personal appearance by Rigathi Gachagua in parliament. He came to argue against accusations, including claims that he backed anti-government demonstrations in June.
The resolution to impeach sailed through with a commanding 281 votes in favor, against only 44 dissenting votes—far surpassing the 117-vote threshold set by the constitution. The proposal now heads to the upper house for further deliberation and another round of voting.
For the impeachment to stick, it will require the backing of two-thirds of the senators in the upper chamber. The timeline for this decisive vote, however, remains under wraps.
As per Kenya’s legal framework, once both legislative branches give their nod, the deputy president’s removal is a done deal. But Gachagua has vowed to contest such an action in court if it comes to that.
Additional accusations of corruption and other misdemeanors also loom over the deputy president. Yet, he flat-out denies every single allegation thrown his way.
This political drama has not stayed within parliament’s confines. Last week, conversations on the impeachment sparked confrontations between supporters and critics of the motion at public assemblies after the ruling coalition introduced the proposal.
Gachagua, in his address, expressed that he was navigating a “political process,” urging lawmakers to arrive at their decisions “free of intimidation and duress.” He previously hinted that the president might have given the nod to this motion.
President William Ruto has held his tongue on the impeachment issue but, in times past, indicated that he preferred not to disgrace his deputy in public. This sentiment is likely influenced by his rocky rapport with his former colleague, Uhuru Kenyatta, during their second term.
At a Sunday prayer gathering at his residence, Gachagua asked President Ruto, lawmakers, and ordinary Kenyans for forgiveness for any missteps during his time in office. The following day, he clarified that his plea wasn’t an admission of guilt and squashed whispers about stepping down.
As for the properties cited in the impeachment filing, Gachagua informed parliamentarians they were assets belonging to his deceased brother. He justified the hefty spending on renovating his official residence, pointing out that the premises required an urgent facelift to restore its “dignity.”
Edited by: Ali Musa
Axadle international–Monitoring
