Why I didn't vote to impeach Gachagua – Babu Owino

Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has said that he did not take part in the vote to impeach former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua because he could not find merit in charges pressed against him.

According to Babu, while he had been asked to vote in favour of his removal from office, he opted to turn down the request after listening to his side of the story.

The legislator said that he saw no wrong in what Gachagua had done.

“I did not vote to impeach Rigathi Gachagua. I was told to vote to impeach him. When I heard him speak I said I was my hands like Herod washed his hands in Jesus' crucifixion," he said.

“I said this is not my fight and the way this man has spoken, genuinely speaking, I didn’t see the problem.” 

He went on to say that it was wrong for those who wanted Gachagua ousted to fight him and his family including children.

Babu insisted that they should have fought the former DP without involving his wife and children.

“I am a very just leader. He did not offend me and I didn’t see his mistake. This is a man we were being told that he has companies with his children, how do you fight a man with his wife and children?” he posed.

Gachagua was impeached by the National Assembly on October 8, 2024, after Members approved the charges against him.

He became the first deputy president to be impeached in Kenya's history.

Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse preferred 11 charges upon which MPs voted to send President William Ruto’s principal assistant packing.

The accusations included gross violation of the constitution, undermining the President, undermining devolution, irregular acquisition of wealth, publicly attacking a judge, intimidating the acting Kemsa CEO, promoting ethnicity and insubordination to the President among other charges.

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.

On October 17, 2024, the Senate upheld the impeachment after two days of hearing.

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).