After weeks of speculation, a motion to impeach Deputy President
Rigathi Gachagua was filed in Parliament on Tuesday.
Some 291 members of Parliament signed the impeachment motion, well
beyond the 117 threshold. Drawn from the ruling Kenya Kwanza coalition and
Azimio la Umoja, the lawmakers united and signed the motion.
However, some 54 legislators had a different view on the matter, opting
not to sign the motion sponsored by Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse.
Mutuse listed 11 grounds on which he wants Gachagua removed from
office, including suspicious acquisition of wealth estimated at Sh5.2 billion
within just two years.
The MP also accused the DP of stirring ethnic hatred and
undermining the government and insubordination to the President.
Gachagua has dismissed all the allegations levelled against him.
The National Assembly adjourned Wednesday morning sitting from
12pm to 2pm to discuss procedure on the public opinions on the impeachment
motion to seal loopholes that could thwart Gachagua’s removal through courts.
The House later announced the public participation exercise on the
impeachment motion will be conducted at the constituency level across 290
constituencies countrywide on Friday.
The House later extended the collection of views to Saturday.
Clerk of the National Assembly Samuel Njoroge said the
one-day extension came following a High Court
order.
The exercise seeks to afford Kenyans an opportunity to make
submissions at designated centres within the 290 constituencies.
“The public participation process additionally contemplates
collection of views from the constituency centres,” National Assembly Speaker
Moses Wetangula stated on Wednesday.
To facilitate public participation, the House adjourned on
Thursday to allow the lawmakers to visit their constituents to spearhead the
exercise.
“The public participation will be conducted countrywide, and the
House will retreat tomorrow (Friday), where the legal counsels will explain the
modalities,” Wetangula explained.
Gachagua had sought to stop the exercise, but the High Court
declined to issue conservatory orders to that effect.
Justice Bahati Mwamuye, however, set the mention date on the
matter for Wednesday next week and directed applicants to serve respondents with
the court papers.
“The Application dated October 2, 2024 shall be mentioned on October
9, 2024 virtually to confirm compliance and to take directions on the expedited
hearing and determination of the matter,” read the court papers.
Several other efforts to stop the impeachment attempt through the
courts failed.
The impeachment has been seen as the culmination of major fallout
between Gachagua and President William Ruto.