Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua Impeached

By Emmanuel Oyasi,

The fate of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua now hangs in balance after the National Assembly impeached him on Tuesday evening.

A total of 281 members of Parliament voted in favor of the ouster motion against 44 who voted against the motion, one MP abstaining from voting.

Gachagua becomes the first deputy president to be impeached in Kenya’s history.

Kibwezi Member of Parliament Mwengi Mutuse preferred 11 charges upon which the lawmakers voted to send Gachagua packing.

The charges filed against the deputy president include gross violation of the constitution, undermining the President, irregular acquisition of wealth, undermining devolution, intimidating acting Kemsa CEO, publicly attacking a judge, promoting ethnicity and insubordination to the President among other charges.

“According to the results of the decision on the motion, a total of 281 members, being more than two thirds of the members of the National Assembly, have voted in support of the motion,” Speaker Moses Wetang’ula said while declaring the outcome of the voting process.

The Deputy President was earlier given a chance to defend himself from the accusations leveled against him where he expressed his full trust that the legislators would make the right decision.

“I have tremendous respect for the National Assembly and your ability and capacity to make the right decision,” he said.

The fate of Mr. Gachagua as the deputy president now lies in the hands of the senators, as the motion will now be transmitted to the senate.

The Speaker of the National Assembly is by law required to inform the Speaker of the Senate of the resolution to impeach the DP within two days.

On reception of the resolution notice, the speaker of the senate is required to convene a senate meeting within seven days to consider charges against DP.

The Senate has 10 days upon receiving the notice from the National Assembly to either uphold the decision or vote on it.