Kenyan senators have voted to remove Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua from his position, despite his absence from his impeachment trial, which his lawyer attributed to a hospital stay.
In a day filled with political drama, Gachagua had been scheduled to appear before the Senate on Thursday to defend himself after pleading not guilty to 11 charges. However, he did not attend, with his lawyer requesting a delay due to Gachagua being hospitalized for chest pains at The Karen Hospital.
Despite his absence, the Senate chose to proceed with the trial, prompting the defense team to leave the chamber in protest. The senators’ refusal to delay the proceedings until Saturday, when it would have been legally permissible, reflected their determination to push for Gachagua’s removal. This move comes months after Gachagua’s falling-out with President William Ruto.
The National Assembly, Kenya’s lower house, had already voted overwhelmingly last week to impeach Gachagua, paving the way for his two-day trial in the Senate. Gachagua, a wealthy businessman from the Mount Kenya region, had described the impeachment as a “political lynching” and had been present in the Senate earlier that day before being taken ill.
President Ruto quickly acted to nominate Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki as Gachagua’s replacement. This nomination was swiftly approved by parliament. Kindiki, a close ally of Ruto, had served as his legal counsel during the latter’s trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC), which was dismissed due to lack of evidence.
However, in another twist, the Nairobi High Court suspended Gachagua’s impeachment and Kindiki’s swearing-in until a hearing on October 24.
The Senate voted to uphold five charges against Gachagua, including inciting ethnic divisions and violating his oath of office, with the two-thirds majority required to remove him from office. Gachagua was acquitted of six other charges, including allegations of corruption and money laundering.
This unprecedented action means Gachagua is permanently barred from holding public office and will lose any retirement benefits. The vote marks the culmination of months of infighting within Kenya’s political elite and solidifies President Ruto’s grip on power.
The dispute reached its peak in June when Gachagua, seen as undermining the president, blamed the head of the intelligence agency for failing to inform Ruto adequately about the scale of protests against unpopular tax hikes. Following this, Ruto was forced to withdraw the taxes, reshuffle his cabinet, and incorporate members of the opposition into his government.
Gachagua’s lawyer, Elisha Ongoya, dismissed all charges at the trial’s start, calling them “false, ridiculous, and embarrassing.” Before the vote, Gachagua had vowed to challenge the decision if it passed.
A doctor quoted by Reuters said that Gachagua, 59, had been hospitalized for heart-related issues but was stable and undergoing tests.
President Ruto has yet to comment on Gachagua’s impeachment or removal from office, aside from informing parliament about the nomination of Kindiki as his deputy.
Ruto and Gachagua had formed a political alliance two years ago, helping Ruto secure the presidency by garnering support in Mount Kenya, the stronghold of the Kikuyu people, Kenya’s largest voting bloc. Ruto’s previous partnership with Uhuru Kenyatta, also a Kikuyu, ended in a fallout when Kenyatta refused to back Ruto for the presidency in 2022. Both leaders had previously faced trials at the ICC for their roles in the 2007 election violence that claimed 1,200 lives, but charges against Kenyatta were dropped in 2014, and Ruto’s case was thrown out in 2016.
Kindiki, also from Mount Kenya, had been seen as a top contender to replace Gachagua. His nomination is expected to face little resistance in parliament, where Ruto holds the majority and has the support of the main opposition party.
Source: BBC Africa
