BY CYRUS OMBATI
More security personnel were Saturday deployed
to constituency offices to supervise the ongoing public participation exercise on
the Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua impeachment motion.
This is after chaos were witnessed in select
areas with goons disrupting the sessions on Friday.
The move to deploy more officers came after a
court in Kerugoya ordered the exercise be conducted at the constituency level.
Officials said police headquarters ordered
regional and county commanders to ensure the proper deployment of personnel to
enhance the exercise.
“There were pockets of chaos witnessed and we
know who was behind them so far,” said a senior police officer who added they
plan to take action soon.
Areas perceived to be hostile got more security
and anti-riot gear.
“Stay away if you are not planning to be civil
and let those willing to do so,” said an official aware of the issue.
Anti-riot police from the General Service Unit
and Rapid Deployment Unit were mobilized and deployed throughout the hostile
areas.
Few staff from the MPs’ offices helped the
police to ensure the smooth running of the exercise.
The National Assembly Friday extended the
ongoing public participation exercise on the Gachagua impeachment motion to
Saturday, October 5 to allow Kenyans to submit their views on the matter.
Clerk of the National Assembly Samuel Njoroge
said the one-day extension came following a High Court order.
Njoroge said the extension would allow adequate
time for all citizens to submit their views across the 290 constituencies
countrywide.
The Clerk further said the public would be
allowed to gather at every Constituency or County Woman Representative’s office
from 8am to 5pm to take part in the exercise.
“Noting
that the High Court of Kenya sitting at Kerugoya acknowledged the public
hearings of today, 4th October 2024, and further ordered that the National
Assembly organize similar public hearings closer to the citizens at least at
constituency level on each constituency in Kenya to enable the constituents of
Members of Parliament responsible for the impeachment process nationally to
engage with and participate on hearings and/or any other suitable modes by
which citizens at that level can participate and offer their representations…”
stated the notice.
“It is notified to the general public that,
further to the public participation exercise which commenced on 2nd October
2024, and the collection of views across the venues and Constituency/County
Women Representative Offices on 4th October 2024, the 290 Constituency Offices
and 47 County Women Representative Offices of all Members of the National
Assembly, which are offices under the Parliamentary Service Commission, shall
remain open on Saturday, 5th October 2024 from 8.00 am to 5.00 pm to facilitate
further public participation on the Special Motion.”
The High Court on Thursday ordered Parliament to
conduct a second round of public participation to ensure all Kenyans
participate in the process.
Justice Richard Mwongo of the Kerugoya Law
Courts deemed that the public participation stage must involve all Kenyans'
views and should not be conducted as a formality.
There are at least 11 cases pending in court to
challenge the impeachment.
Gachagua is facing abuse of office charges and
violation of the law as the impeachment threatens to end his political career.
The MPs vote on Tuesday, October 8 on the motion
introduced by Kibwezi MP Mwengi Mutuse.
The MP prepared 10 charges to kick the DP out of
the office, bringing to the forefront the implosion of the Kenya Kwanza
administration after two years in office.