DP Rigathi Gachagua impeached

Kenya’s Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has been impeached following an intense parliamentary process.

The motion, led by Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse, garnered the support of 281 MPs, with only 44 opposing it.

Gachagua’s impeachment was based on allegations of gross misconduct and abuse of office, accusations which he has vehemently denied, labelling the proceedings as a “political lynching” aimed at undermining the will of the Kenyan electorate who voted for him in 2022.

The impeachment motion, initially thought to be government-sponsored, was later revealed to be a private member’s initiative, distancing the government from the move.

Despite Gachagua’s last-minute legal attempts to block the impeachment, the High Court declined to halt the process, allowing the National Assembly to proceed with the debate.

Throughout the process, Gachagua maintained that the charges against him were unfounded and politically motivated.

He argued that the public participation held prior to the motion was insufficient, claiming that many Kenyans were unable to express their views due to logistical challenges.

While communicating to the House after the results of the votes were announced, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula said the impeachment motion had garnered the support of at least Two-Thirds of the House and therefore DP Gachagua stood impeached.

The National Assembly comprises 349 Members, including 290 elected from constituencies, 47 women elected from counties, and 12 nominated representatives. Consequently, a two-thirds majority equates to 233 votes.

Wetang’ula said will notify the Speaker of the Senate, Amason Kingi, of the decision of the House within two days, as stipulated in Article 145 (2)(a) of the Constitution.

Article 145 (2)(b) further clarifies that the Deputy President will continue to perform his duties pending the outcome of the proceedings.

Following receipt of the resolution notice from the National Assembly, Senate Speaker Amason Kingi is required to convene a Senate meeting within seven days to consider the charges against the DP.

As outlined in Article 145 (3)(b), the Senate may establish a Special Committee of 11 Members to investigate the allegations within this seven-day timeframe.

Articles 145 (4)(a) and (b) mandate that this Committee report its findings to the Senate within 10 days.

If at least Two-Thirds of the Senate Members—comprising 67 total, including 47 elected and 20 nominated—vote to uphold any impeachment charges, the Deputy President shall cease to hold office, as specified in Article 145 (7).

This means that a minimum of 45 senators must support the Motion to remove the Deputy President from office.

His legal team had sought to consolidate multiple petitions challenging the impeachment, but the courts ruled in favour of the motion’s progression.

The impeachment has sparked significant political debate, with analysts suggesting it could have far-reaching consequences for Kenya’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 elections​.