Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua impeached

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has been impeached by the National Assembly.

A total of 281 MPs voted in favour of the ouster motion against 44 who voted to save his political career.

One MP abstained from voting on the impeachment motion.

This now makes Gachagua the first deputy president to be impeached in Kenya’s history.

The ouster motion was tabled by Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse who preferred 11 charges upon which MPs voted to send President William Ruto’s principal assistant packing.

The accusations include gross violation of the constitution, undermining the President, undermining devolution, irregular acquisition of wealth, publicly attacking a judge, intimidating acting Kemsa CEO, promoting ethnicity and insubordination to the President among other charges.

Only 233 MPs were needed to support the motion for Gachagua to stand impeached.

“Article 145 (2) of the constitution sets a threshold of at least two thirds of members of the National Assembly to be considered in support of a special motion for proposed removal of the Deputy President of the Republic for the motion to be carried,” Speaker Moses Wetang’ula said.

“According to the results of the decision on the motion that I have just declared, a total of 281 members being more than two thirds of the members of the National Assembly, have voted in support of the motion,” he added.

The motion will now be transmitted to the Senate.

The National Assembly Speaker is by law required to inform the Speaker of the Senate of the resolution to impeach the DP within two days.

Speaker of the Senate will upon receipt of the communication convene a meeting of the Senate within seven days to hear the charges against the Deputy President.

The Senate may, by resolution, choose to appoint a special 11-member committee to investigate the matter and report to the Senate within 10 days on whether or not it finds the allegations against the DP to have been substantiated.