The Kenyan Senate has voted to impeach Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on five charges out of a total of 11 against him. This historic impeachment vote marks the first time a deputy president has been removed from office in Kenya since the introduction of impeachment in the 2010 constitution. The lower house National Assembly had also approved a similar motion against Gachagua’s number two, President William Ruto, last week. Gachagua was too ill to attend the proceedings, with his lawyer stating that he had been hospitalized with severe chest pains.
Despite his absence, the Senate proceeded with the vote, and Gachagua’s legal team had urged the Senate to pause proceedings for a couple of days. However, the motion to adjourn the hearing was rejected by senators. Many Kenyans believe that the impeachment process is politically motivated and a distraction from other issues, such as recent anti-tax protests that revealed discontent with the government’s policies and alleged corruption. Some experts suggest that the scrutiny of Gachagua’s finances during the hearings could have implications for President Ruto as well.
Gachagua had vigorously denied the charges against him, which included accusations of corruption, insubordination, money-laundering, undermining the government, practicing ethnically divisive politics, bullying public officers, and threatening a judge. His absence from the proceedings due to illness may have affected the outcome of the vote, as he was unable to present a defense against the allegations. It is unclear how the impeachment of Deputy President Gachagua will impact Kenya’s political landscape and the power dynamics within the government.
The impeachment of Gachagua has highlighted the growing tensions within President Ruto’s camp, as he has fallen out with the deputy president in recent months. Ruto has not commented on the impeachment proceedings, and the Senate’s decision to remove Gachagua from office could have broader implications for the ruling party and the political landscape in Kenya. Gachagua has described the impeachment process as a political lynching based on falsehoods, indicating that he believes the charges against him are unfounded.
Overall, the impeachment of Deputy President Gachagua marks a significant development in Kenyan politics and raises questions about the stability and future of the government. As the first deputy president to be removed in this manner, the implications of this decision could reverberate throughout the political establishment. The ongoing tensions within the ruling party and the fallout from the impeachment proceedings could have far-reaching consequences for President Ruto and his administration. It remains to be seen how this historic impeachment vote will shape the political landscape in Kenya moving forward.
