Members of Parliament (MPs) will begin convening the public impeachment hearing of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua today, October 8, charging him with abuse of power, corruptly using the levers of government to amass unimaginable wealth within a short time he has been in office and obstruction of government by gross misconduct, among other crimes and misdemeanours.
They plan to kick off hearings at 9:00 AM at the National Assembly, with testimonies from three key witnesses: Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, Mercy Wanjau, the Secretary to the Cabinet, and Andrew Mulwa, the former CEO of Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA). DP Gachagua has confirmed that he will be present.
The session will not look like traditional parliamentary summons, such as those involving Cabinet Secretaries, where MPs alternate in asking questions—sometimes over an indefinite period—and subjects or witnesses can easily avoid answering unfavourable questions.
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The National Assembly has already approved rules for processing the Special Motion on the proposed removal from office, by impeachment, of the Deputy President. These rules include allowing the mover of the motion, MP Mwengi Mutuse of Kibwezi West, 60 minutes to present his case; two hours for the embattled Deputy President to defend himself; and 30 minutes for MP Mutuse to reply before the Speaker opens the debate, with each MP having up to five minutes at a time to contribute to the motion. The MPs will then begin another debate on the impeachment resolution.
Although the outcome is uncertain, it has raised the possibility that Rigathi Gachagua could become the first Deputy President to be impeached in the country’s history since the promulgation of the revised 2010 Constitution.
On October 1, when MP Mutuse moved the Special Motion, he stated that 291 out of 349 MPs had signed the document pushing for Gachagua’s removal, reflecting the deep polarization gripping the ruling party.
Meanwhile, President William Ruto remains silent on the matter.
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