KEY POINTS
- Kenya’s Senate has opened impeachment hearings against Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
- Gachagua faces 11 charges, including corruption and inciting ethnic hatred.
- A two-thirds majority vote is needed to remove Gachagua from office.
Kenya’s Senate has commenced impeachment hearings against Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, following a court ruling that allowed the process to proceed. Gachagua is facing 11 charges, including corruption and inciting ethnic hatred. He has denied all the allegations.
Senate impeachment process underway
On Wednesday, Kenya’s Senate opened proceedings against Gachagua, just days after the National Assembly voted to impeach him. Gachagua’s legal team had previously filed a petition in the High Court to block the process, but the court ruled that the impeachment hearings were constitutional. “The process is a lawful, constitutional process,” stated Judge Erick Ogolla.
The impeachment motion, which was supported by both opposition lawmakers and some allies of President William Ruto, accuses Gachagua of misconduct, including undermining the government and stirring ethnic tensions.
Despite the serious nature of the charges, Gachagua maintains that they are politically motivated. “Not guilty,” Gachagua responded to each of the 11 charges during the Senate session.
Political fallout and shifting alliances
Gachagua’s impeachment comes just two years after he ran alongside Ruto in the 2022 presidential election. The pair, once close political allies, have since drifted apart.
Ruto recently reshuffled his cabinet, appointing opposition members to key positions in an attempt to form a unity government. This shift occurred after nationwide protests over tax hikes left over 50 people dead.
The fallout between Ruto and Gachagua has been attributed to shifting political alliances and the president’s efforts to unify the government. Gachagua’s legal defense argues that the impeachment is part of a political “lynching” rather than a fair legal process.
Legal defense and next steps
Gachagua is expected to defend himself in the Senate on Thursday, with a final vote expected soon after. A two-thirds majority is required to remove the deputy president from office.
According to Reuters, during the hearing, one of Gachagua’s lawyers, Elisha Ongoya, argued that the accusations were either false or exaggerated, while a key witness, lawmaker Mwengi Mutuse, accused Gachagua of violating the constitution.
In the event of Gachagua’s removal, the High Court will rule on October 29 whether President Ruto has the authority to nominate a new deputy president. The decision is expected to have significant political implications for Kenya’s leadership moving forward.
