KEY POINTS
- Gachagua is the first Kenyan deputy president impeached from office.
- The impeachment process could extend, as Gachagua challenges the decision in court.
- Analysts warn of political backlash for President Ruto amid public discontent.
Kenya’s Senate voted on Thursday to remove Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua from office, marking the first time a sitting president or deputy president in Kenya has been impeached.
Kenya’s deputy president removed from office in historic impeachment
The Senate impeached Gachagua on five of 11 charges, raising concerns of a potential political crisis.
Gachagua, who helped President William Ruto win the election two years ago, has been accused by Ruto’s allies of disloyalty and making inflammatory public remarks. Last week, the National Assembly voted to impeach him. In the Senate, 54 of 67 senators voted for his removal on the charge of “gross violation of the constitution,” surpassing the required two-thirds majority.
“As a result, His Excellency Rigathi Gachagua ceases to hold office,” Senate Speaker Amason Kingi announced.
However, the impeachment process may not be over. Gachagua has filed multiple petitions contesting his dismissal, and the chief justice has appointed a panel of three judges to review the case. Gachagua, who denies the accusations, was expected to defend himself in the Senate but was absent due to hospitalization.
Gachagua’s lawyer, Paul Muite, informed the Senate that his client had been hospitalized in Nairobi with chest pains, requesting a postponement of the proceedings. When the Senate declined, Gachagua’s legal team walked out in protest.
Dr. Dan Gikonyo, Gachagua’s physician, said the deputy president was in stable condition but would likely remain hospitalized for 24 to 72 hours. Some senators questioned the decision to proceed with the vote in Gachagua’s absence.
“The only crime Rigathi Gachagua has committed is political,” said Senator John Methu. However, Senator Moses Otieno Kajwang supported the decision, stating, “We must drain the swamp.”
President Ruto risks political fallout as Gachagua’s impeachment stirs tensions
President Ruto, who has distanced himself from Gachagua in recent months, has not commented on the impeachment. Analysts warn that the move could lead to public backlash, as many Kenyans view it as politically motivated and a distraction from recent anti-tax protests, Reuters reported.
Karuti Kanyinga, a professor at the University of Nairobi, suggested that the investigation into Gachagua’s finances could have wider implications for Ruto. “People may start demanding that the same scrutiny be applied to the president,” Kanyinga said.
Gachagua has called the impeachment a baseless political attack. Lawmaker Mwengi Mutuse, who brought the charges, accused Gachagua of acquiring over $40 million in property since taking office, despite previously reporting a net worth of $6 million. Gachagua’s lawyer, Elisha Ongoya, dismissed the accusations as speculative and without evidence.
