KEY POINTS
- Gachagua’s impeachment follows a rift with President Ruto.
- The Senate will decide if Gachagua will be removed from office.
- The impeachment adds to concerns about Kenya’s economic stability.
Kenya’s Senate will debate next week whether to remove Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Senate Speaker Amason Kingi said Wednesday, following a National Assembly vote to impeach him.
Gachagua faces Senate trial after National Assembly impeachment vote
Lawmakers voted 281-44 late Tuesday in favour of impeachment, with one abstention. The vote exceeded the two-thirds majority needed to send the matter to the Senate.
Kingi said the Senate would investigate the allegations against Gachagua on Wednesday and Thursday next week. If at least two-thirds of senators vote to uphold the impeachment, Gachagua will be dismissed.
Gachagua has denied all 11 charges, which include accusations of self-enrichment and inciting ethnic hatred. He called the impeachment process a “theatre of the absurd.”
The deputy president’s rift with President William Ruto, whom he supported in the 2022 election, became public after deadly protests this year against tax hikes and the rising cost of living.
According to a report by Reuters, Ruto has not publicly commented on the impeachment. Gachagua angered many in Ruto’s coalition by likening the government to a company and suggesting that those who voted for the coalition had priority for public-sector jobs and development projects.
Kenyans divided over impeachment as economic concerns grow
The impeachment effort has divided Kenyans. Some argue that parliament should focus on economic issues instead of political disputes, while others call for both Ruto and Gachagua to resign.
“They should both be removed. After two years, there has been no positive change. We’ve faced more crises. They came as a package, so they should leave as a package,” said Melissa Kagondu, a beauty products vendor.
Robert Shaw, a Nairobi-based analyst, told Reuters that the impeachment adds to concerns about Kenya’s economic stability following protests in June and July.
“It’s likely to get worse. If I were an investor, I would be preparing for a storm,” Shaw said.
