Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba and former Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri at Karen Hospital on October 17, 2024 (PHOTO: SCREEN GRAB)
Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba and former Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri broke down on Thursday evening after visiting former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua at the Karen Hospital.
"Unfortunately, the Deputy President is overwhelmed, and I guess that's why he's here (Karen Hospital),” Wamuchomba stated.
She explained how Gachagua had been hospitalized due to the overwhelming stress caused by the impeachment process.
"We’ve not been able to have any conversation with him but things were a little bit heavy on him," she added.
Ngunjiri, also overcome with emotion, expressed his sorrow in deeply religious terms.
“They can take all his properties, but they should not touch his heart. His heart is the Lord’s. They should not touch it at all," Ngunjiri said in tears, calling for divine intervention.
"Help him. I do not have much to say, we have left all to God."
His legal team, led by Senior Counsel Paul Muite, revealed that the Deputy President had been hospitalized.
"The sad reality is that the DP has been taken ill and is currently in hospital. That is the sad reality," Muite said.
He said Gachagua was suffering from severe chest pains and because of this, he could not appear at the Senate in person.
Wamuchomba expressed her frustration with the Senate’s decision to proceed despite Gachagua’s medical condition.
“Maybe a sentiment on this as the Deputy President is still in this facility. It’s quite unfortunate that politics has pushed us to the extent that we no longer respect life or dignify life,” she said.
The Senate upheld the impeachment of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua after two days of hearing.
He became the first deputy president to be impeached in Kenya's history.
Senators voted to uphold at least five charges against Gachagua.
These include ground one of shareholding, ground four of undermining the Independence of Judges, ground five of the National Cohesion and Integrity Act 4, ground six of crimes under the National Cohesion Act and ground nine of gross misconduct (Public Attacks to NIS).
The motion of impeachment was tabled by Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse in the National Assembly last week.
A total of 281 MPs voted in favour of the ouster motion against 44 who voted to save his young political career from sudden death.
One MP abstained from voting.
Mutuse preferred 11 charges upon which MPs voted to send President William Ruto’s principal assistant packing.