Senate Impeaches Deputy President Gachagua
Embattled Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has been officially removed from office after the Senate voted overwhelmingly to favor his impeachment. The majority decision came after Gachagua was accused of gross violations of the Constitution.
During the voting process, 53 senators supported Gachagua’s removal, while 13 opposed it. The Constitution requires a two-thirds majority vote to confirm an impeachment. With this threshold met, Gachagua has been formally ousted from his position.
Interestingly, the Senate only needed a majority vote on a single charge to justify Gachagua’s impeachment. Despite this, 45 senators rejected the charge that Gachagua had violated the Fourth Schedule by undermining devolution, saving him on that accusation. Only 19 senators voted in favor, while 3 abstained.
Gachagua’s impeachment proceedings continued despite his legal team’s request to adjourn the hearing until October 22. The defense cited the deputy president’s sudden illness as the reason for the delay.
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Lead Counsel Paul Muite informed the Senate that Gachagua had been rushed to Karen Hospital after suffering chest pains during the hearing. He emphasized that the deputy president’s health condition was serious, but the Senate dismissed the request to postpone the session.
After the adjournment plea was denied, Gachagua’s legal team walked out, stating they did not have authorization to represent him further in the trial without his consent. The Senate then allowed representatives from the National Assembly to deliver their final arguments.
Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo, speaking on behalf of the National Assembly, accused Gachagua of violating the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) Act. Amollo highlighted remarks made by the deputy president regarding the distribution of coalition positions, which he argued breached the law.
The impeachment of DP Gachagua was initially approved by the National Assembly on October 8, where 282 MPs voted for the motion, 44 opposed it, and one MP abstained. This marked the beginning of Gachagua’s path to removal.
Senate Impeaches Deputy President Gachagua
