Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka has called for the reinstatement of impeached Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
Kalonzo said Gachagua is still Kenya’s Deputy President after the High Court suspended the appointment of a new DP on Friday.
“The last line of defence in this country now is our Judiciary. When we were attending this funeral service here, we learnt that Justice Chacha Mwita has issued conservatory orders suspending the decision of the Senate to impeach Gachagua last evening,” Kalonzo said.
The Wiper leader addressed the press at a funeral in Kathiani, Machakos County, on Friday.
“The effect of that is basically to say that Gachagua is still the Deputy President until the court determines otherwise, and we have every confidence that our courts will do justice," Kalonzo said.
"As I earlier said, justice must reign even though the heavens fall. As the last line of defence because the country is dealing with very urgent critical matters."
Kalonzo also said the country’s security is paramount and the national security can’t be compromised by the way the national or international airport issues are being handled.
“We will be in court as Judge Baraza ordered on Tuesday to argue this matter because that’s why we are saying that Gachagua’s impeachment was a diversionary tactic so that Kenyans can forget about these things when the state capture is going on,” Kalonzo said.
Kalonzo said the court order meant that whatever the National Assembly had done in approving Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki as the new deputy president was null and void.
“The effect of that is that Gachagua’s security is very important because he is number two in the country. His security must be returned because we know it had already been withdrawn," Kalonzo said.
"Mine have been withdrawn like twice or three times, but we have a sitting Deputy President even though he is in the hospital. We urge that security arrangements be seen there because he is in a hospital bed. He needs to be secured," Kalonzo said.
"Whatever they have done is null and void after Justice Muita’s decision until the court finds otherwise."
Justice Chacha Mwita, in his ruling, said there should be no appointments to replace Gachagua until October 24.
He certified the application filed by Gachagua’s advocate senior counsel Paul Muite as urgent and remitted the file to Chief Justice Martha Koome.
Koome will appoint a bench to hear and determine the weighty constitutional issues he has raised.
“In the meantime, a conservatory order is issued suspending senate resolution to uphold the impeachment charges against the deputy president,” the judge said.
President William Ruto had nominated Kindiki as the new deputy president. His appointment was subsequently approved by the national assembly.