Gachagua Impeached Over 11 grounds
The deputy governor faced 11 grounds for impeachment amongst them graft, insubordination and advance of ethnic divisive politics.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. Photo by Tuko News.
By Robert Mutasi
Embattled Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has been impeached after Members of the National Assembly voted on Tuesday, October 8, 2024.
The motion, supported by 281 Members of Parliament, marks a milestone in Kenya’s political scene.
This comes after 291 MPs signed the motion and met the threshold required for formal proceedings to kick off.
The deputy president faced 11 grounds for impeachment amongst them graft, insubordination and advance of ethnic divisive politics.
Despite his effort to defend himself, only 44 MPs voted against the motion while one abstained.
Gachagua appeared before the House to address the allegations, urging MPs to consider the evidence carefully.
“Search your conscience and decide whether Rigathi Gachagua is guilty of any of these allegations or whether he is taken through a political process. If you find there are no substantive charges to impeach the Deputy President, please make the right decision,” he pleaded.
He likened it to what happened with President William Ruto, how they were both persecuted.
“But as you do so, many members in this House remember what President William Ruto went through, and most of us stood with him. Rigathi Gachagua underwent four years of persecution. Others faced persecution, but we took a firm stand,” Gachagua reminded the MPs.
Article 150 of the Kenyan Constitution of 2010 outlines the grounds for the removal of the Deputy President.
These include physical or mental incapacity to perform the functions of the office, gross violation of the Constitution or other law, and gross misconduct.
The impeachment motion against Gachagua cited several violations including corruption and undermining the government.
The process now goes to the Senate, which has to reconvene within one week to examine the charges.
They have been given ten days of debate and voting by the Senate, the minimum required under the law for such a process. To impeach Gachagua, a vote of two-thirds of senators would be needed.
The development has attracted great debate across the country, with opinions divided over its legitimacy and motivation.
While some view it as a necessary process of maintaining the rule of law and accountability, others interpret it as a political maneuver.
As the nation awaits the verdict by the Senate, so does the political future of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
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