Kenya’s MPs to cast votes on deputy president's impeachment

 

Rigathi Gachagua is reported to have hired about 20 lawyers to defend him against the impeachment motion

Kenyan MPs are set to vote on impeaching Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua in a political scuffle that has engulfed the country following his recent feud with President William Ruto.

The MPs accuse Gachagua of corruption, ethnic politics, and undermining the administration, among other things.

The 59-year-old lawmaker, also known as "Riggy G," has called the charges against him "outrageous" and "pure propaganda," claiming they are part of a scheme to force him out of government.

 

He is expected to appear before parliament to defend himself before the vote, after which impeachment proceedings will move to the Senate.

 

Political tensions have been high in the East African country since June, when fatal protests broke out over unpopular tax increases, exposing a fundamental schism between Ruto and Gachagua.

 

Following the anti-tax protests, which killed more than 50 people, Ruto fired the majority of his government and appointed members of the main opposition.

 

Several MPs aligned with Gachagua were called by police last month, accused of sponsoring the rallies, but no charges were filed.

Security has been stepped up in Nairobi ahead of the vote, with police patrols and major highways leading to parliament closed to the public.

According to local media sources, Gachagua has engaged over 20 lawyers to defend him against the impeachment move.

 

Last Monday, a total of 291 MPs signed the motion to begin the impeachment process, exceeding the constitutional need of 117.

Gachagua has failed in multiple judicial attempts to stop the proceedings from continuing.
In a televised statement on Monday, Gachagua accused Mwengi Mutuse, the MP who authored the resolution, of lying, calling it "shameful and sensational".


The motion includes 11 grounds for impeachment, including allegations that Gachagua obtained assets worth 5.2 billion Kenyan shillings ($40 million, £31 million) in two years through unexplained wealth.

"I am innocent of all these charges," Gachagua said.

"I have no intention whatsoever to resign from this job. I will fight to the end."

The deputy president said some of the properties listed in the motion belonged to his late brother.

He also defended the controversial renovation for his official residence in the capital.

 

The constitution requires MPs to engage with the people before making major decisions.

According to a parliamentary report, almost 200,000 answers were received as part of the process, with 65% supporting Gachagua's impeachment and approximately 34% opposing it.

On Sunday, Gachagua asked Ruto and the MPs to pardon him for any misbehavior during his tenure. He then stressed that his apologies did not constitute an admission of guilt.

Ruto has yet to publicly comment on the impeachment move, but he has previously stated that he would never publicly disgrace his deputy.

For the motion to pass, it requires the support of at least two-thirds of members of the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament.

It is expected to pass, considering that the main opposition has suddenly joined forces with the president's party.

Gachagua, a wealthy businessman from the vote-rich Mount Kenya region, overcame earlier corruption allegations to become Ruto's running mate in a tightly contested August 2022 election.

He is a member of the Kikuyu community, the country's largest ethnic group, whereas President Ruto is a Kalenjin, an ethnic group primarily found in the Rift Valley.

These two villages clashed following the 2007 elections, which resulted in ethnic violence that killed 1,200 people across the country.

If the Senate approves the move, Gachagua will become the first deputy president to be impeached under the 2010 constitution.

In 1989, then Vice-President Josephat Karanja resigned from office when he faced a similar motion.