Friday,
October 18, 2024 -Embattled Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has
officially been impeached after members of the Senate overwhelmingly voted to
kick out the second in command from office.
During the voting process, 54 lawmakers voted in favour of Gachagua's
impeachment over gross violation of the Constitution while 13 voted against his
ouster. According to the Constitution, if at least two-thirds of the senators
vote to uphold the impeachment, then Gachagua stands dismissed.
It is worth noting that a majority of the Senators only needed to vote
in favour of one ground to warrant the deputy president an impeachment.
45 senators, however, saved Gachagua by opposing his impeachment over
the accusation that he violated the Fourth Schedule to the Constitution by
undermining devolution. Only 19 approved the impeachment while 3 abstained.
On the third ground of undermining devolution, 45 lawmakers voted
against the charge while 18 Senators defended the DP with three senators
abstaining. Meanwhile, 51 Senators voted in favour of the DP's impeachment on
the grounds of undermining independent institutions such as the court with 16
lawmakers disagreeing.
Most of the Senators also faulted the DP for breaching the oath of
office and contravening the National Cohesion and Integrity Act of the
constitution. Nonetheless, most legislators defended Gachagua against
allegations of engaging in money laundering.
Gachagua's impeachment followed the Senate's resolve to continue with
the impeachment hearing despite a request by the deputy president's legal team
for the adjournment of the hearing to October 22.
The DP's legal team had requested Senate Speaker Amason Kingi to adjourn
the session after the deputy president reportedly fell ill during the
proceedings. Addressing the Senate plenary, lead Counsel Paul Muite informed
the lawmakers that the deputy president suffered chest pains and was rushed to
Karen Hospital for treatment.
“The sad reality is that the Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya
has been taken very sick and as I address Mr Speaker and this House, he is in
the hospital. That is the sad reality," Muite informed the plenary.
However, after the adjournment plea was dismissed, DP Gachagua's legal
team walked out claiming that they did not have permission from their client to
continue representing him in the impeachment case.
Following the deputy president's legal team's decision to walk out,
Speaker Kingi permitted the representatives from the National Assembly to
deliver their closing statements in Gachagua’s impeachment trial. The Senate
then adjourned for thirty minutes after which a voting exercise was conducted.
In their presentation, the National Assembly's representatives led by
Rarieda lawmaker Oteinde Amollo accused the DP of breaching the National
Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) Act.
"He (DP Gachagua) talked about sharing positions in coalition and
not in government, and to try and mislead this house makes it an aggravation of
a rule, and I invite you, Mr Speaker to find that there was a breach of this.
We were shown a clip of the deputy president saying he had no apology,"
lawyer Otiende Amollo argued.
DP Gachgua was first impeached by members of the National Assembly on October 8 when 282 MPs voted in favour of the special motion with 44 voting against the impeachment with one legislator abstaining the vote.
0 Comments