Kenyan lawmakers have voted to impeach Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on charges of abuse of office, sparking intense national debate.
The impeachment motion against the 59-year-old, a deputy to President William Ruto, accused him of corruption, insubordination, and divisive ethnic politics, among other serious allegations.
The National Assembly overwhelmingly approved the motion with 282 votes in favor out of 349 members, surpassing the two-thirds threshold required.
There were 44 votes against the motion and one abstention, according to Speaker of Parliament Moses Wetangula.
The motion now moves to the Senate, where if it is also approved, Gachagua will become the first deputy president to be removed from office under Kenya’s revised 2010 constitution.
“It is well,” Gachagua said in a brief statement following the vote, quoting Bible verses calling for thankfulness in all circumstances.
Ahead of the vote, Gachagua fiercely defended himself during a heated 12-hour parliamentary session. Armed with a 500-page dossier, he rejected the charges and pleaded with lawmakers to make the “right decision.”
He urged them to “search your conscience” and described the impeachment as a “political process.”
At a press conference the previous day, Gachagua called the motion “outrageous” and “sheer propaganda,” suggesting it was a plot to drive him out of office. “I will fight to the end,” he said defiantly.
Despite his impassioned defense, the impeachment motion advanced, setting the stage for a Senate review.
Gachagua, a powerful businessman from Kenya’s largest ethnic group, the Kikuyu, has weathered multiple corruption scandals in the past.
Since becoming deputy president after the August 2022 election, he has complained of being sidelined by President Ruto. In recent months, he has also been accused of supporting youth-led protests against the government’s tax hikes, which erupted in June and turned violent.
Political tensions between Gachagua and President Ruto have been mounting, with many comparing the feud to the public falling-out between former President Uhuru Kenyatta and his then-deputy Ruto before the 2022 election. Gachagua admitted that the impeachment motion could not have proceeded without Ruto’s tacit approval.
The impeachment charges included claims that Gachagua amassed assets worth 5.2 billion shillings ($40 million) since taking office, far exceeding his annual salary of $93,000.
Among the contested assets is Kenya’s famous Treetops Hotel, a historical landmark where Queen Elizabeth II was staying when she became queen. Gachagua, however, insists that his wealth comes from legitimate business deals and an inheritance from his late brother.
The deputy president has warned that his removal could provoke unrest among his supporters. Nonetheless, he remained steadfast, stating that he would not resign. “I will not be hounded out of office,” he said on Monday.
The Senate is expected to convene within a week to review the impeachment motion. The Senate will have 10 days to consider the evidence and allow Gachagua to cross-examine witnesses. A two-thirds majority of senators will be needed to confirm his removal.
Should the Senate vote in favor, Gachagua could still appeal the decision through the courts.
Political analysts are closely watching the fallout from the vote. Dismas Mokua, a political risk analyst based in Nairobi, said that Gachagua’s downfall could be attributed to his lack of political patience.
“He assumed he would co-lead with Ruto, but like other deputies, he succumbed to the desire for quick, ‘instant coffee’ solutions,” Mokua told AFP.
Mokua also warned of the potential for unrest if Gachagua is removed. “While organic protests may not materialize, the likelihood of orchestrated unrest is very high,” he added.
In Kenya’s political history, this is not the first time a deputy leader has faced such peril. In 1989, then-Vice President Josephat Karanja resigned under pressure from parliament, avoiding an impeachment process similar to the one Gachagua is now facing.
As the nation watches, the Senate’s decision will determine whether Gachagua becomes the first deputy president to be removed through impeachment, a significant test for Kenya’s young democracy under the 2010 constitution.
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