Low Turnout, MP Boycott Uasin Gishu Public Hearings on DP Gachagua Impeachment Motion
The lack of participation coincided with the absence of seven members of Parliament from the region, who were notably missing from the hearings amid accusations of a hostile political environment.
Joan Lelei the presiding officer at Soy constituency NGCDF in Uasin Gishu County helps a section of the residents to fill a forms on removal from office by impeachment of Deputy President Rigathi Gachague on Saturday
Uasin Gishu County, a key political stronghold of President William Ruto, witnessed a low turnout of residents on Saturday for public hearings regarding the special motion to impeach Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. Despite efforts to gather public views at the constituency level, attendance was sparse, with many residents reportedly unaware of the exercise.
The lack of participation coincided with the absence of seven members of Parliament from the region, who were notably missing from the hearings amid accusations of a hostile political environment. Sources suggest the chaotic scenes at Eldoret County Hall on Friday may have deterred the MPs from engaging in the public consultations.
During the Friday incident, hundreds of residents flooded the Eldoret venue, arriving as early as 7 a.m., demanding accountability from their legislators. Many accused the MPs of neglecting their duties and focusing on issues they deemed irrelevant to the average Kenyan.
One irate resident, John Kemboi, expressed his frustration, saying, “We are facing a myriad of problems in the country, yet our leaders choose to discuss how to send the DP packing, as if that will put food on our tables.”
Instead of leading the hearings, MPs including David Kiplagat (Soy), Oscar Sudi (Kapseret), Janet Sitienei (Turbo), Samuel Chepkonga (Ainabkoi), Julius Rutto (Kesses), Phylis Bartoo, and Uasin Gishu Woman Representative Gladys Shollei, reportedly attended funeral services in various villages.
Security remained tight at the designated NG-CDF offices, where the hearings were supposed to take place. However, attendance was disappointingly low, with only a handful of participants showing up by noon.
In Soy constituency, Joan Lelei, the presiding officer at the NG-CDF office, reported that only five individuals, including two boda boda riders, had provided their views by midday. “I have attended to only five people since I reported to work at 7:30 a.m., and it is now approaching lunchtime,” said Lelei. “The people are saying they were not adequately informed about the continuation of the exercise.”
The low turnout is being blamed on poor mobilization and planning, with many residents apparently believing the exercise had concluded on Friday.
This second round of public participation was ordered by the High Court in Nairobi, following a petition by Kirinyaga Woman MP James Njeri Maina. In her filing, Njeri challenged the adequacy and scope of the initial public participation, arguing that the impeachment motion against the Deputy President is a matter of national concern that requires comprehensive public engagement.
On Friday, the High Court ruled that a fresh exercise should take place at the constituency level to ensure broader participation. The ruling followed a directive by Speaker of the National Assembly, Moses Wetang’ula, in response to the petition, which sought to extend public hearings beyond county-level consultations.
As the impeachment debate continues to unfold, the poor turnout in Uasin Gishu raises questions about the effectiveness of public mobilization and the broader public’s interest in the ongoing political drama.
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