Nyeri Senator Wahome Wamatinga on Thursday evening joined a list of MPs from the county who voted to impeach former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
In a surprise move that exposed Gachagua’s rejection in his backyard, Wamatinga voted to uphold three out of the five counts that the senators upheld in the historic vote.
Wamatinga is among the nine senators from Mt Kenya who voted to remove the embattled former DP.
Others were Tabitha Keroche (Nakuru), Kathure Murungi (Meru), Alexander Mundigi (Embu) and Mwenda Gataya (Tharaka Nithi).
They voted in favour of all the charges that senators upheld.
Nominated senators Veronica Maina, Karen Nyamu and George Mbugua voted to send Gachagua packing.
On Thursday, senators voted to uphold five out of the 11 charges levelled against Gachagua by the National Assembly that impeached him a week ago.
They upheld ground one of shareholding, ground four of undermining the independence of judges and ground five of the National Cohesion and Integrity Act 4.
The lawmakers also upheld ground six of crimes under the National Cohesion Act and ground nine of gross misconduct–public attack on NIS boss Noordin Haji.
During the debate on the floor, Nyamu said the impeachment motion against Gachagua had not been an easy experience for her.
“He has been our leader, we have been in the trenches with him, fighting for this government and it has come to this and I can assure you that we are not particularly very excited about it,” she said.
In yet another surprise, Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei voted against Gachagua despite the public display of his defence for Gachagua.
During a debate on the floor, Cherargei criticised Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse who sponsored the impeachment motion against Gachagua for engaging in a fishing expedition.
Cherargei said Mutuse’s evidence against the ex-DP fell short of the threshold needed to impeach a Deputy President.
He in particular took issue with the MP’s allegation that the DP accumulated wealth to the tune of Sh5.2 billion within just two years of service in office way beyond his known source of income that would come to about Sh24 million.
“And if you realise on the 11 grounds, the mover was on a fishing expedition,” he added.
During the vote, however, Cherargei upheld all the five charges that the House convicted him on.
However, it was Wamatinga’s vote against Gachagua that came as a shocker.
He voted in favour of two counts and abstained in three others out of the five charges that the House upheld.
The senator is a known close ally of Gachagua.
He served as the chairman of the Mathira Constituency Development Fund board during Gachagua’s tenure as the area MP.
It is believed his ties with Gachagua propelled him to the Senate seat.
Last week, Gachagua’s successor in Mathira, MP Eric Wamumbi voted to impeach Gachagua in the National Assembly.
The two previously enjoyed a close relationship, which played out in the lead up to the 2022 general election when Gachagua appealed to Mathira residents to vote for Wamumbi in the parliamentary race.
Further, DP Gachagua was among the dignitaries to grace Wamumbi’s dowry negotiations as he sealed his nuptials with Murang’a Woman Representative Betty Maina.
In the ceremony, Gachagua acted as Wamumbi’s chief spokesperson in steering the negotiations.
Nyeri Town MP Duncan Mathenge and his Othaya counterpart Michael Wanaina Wambugu had also voted in favour of Gachagua’s removal in the National Assembly.
Nyeri Woman Rep Rahab Mukami and Kieni MP Njoroge Wainaina were absent during the vote.
However, the Senate vote also revealed how some senators, especially those from Mt Kenya and Eastern – Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka’s turf – stood firm with Gachagua as they voted against all the charges levelled against him. Tey include James Murango (Kirinyaga), Karungo Thang’wa (Kiambu), John Kinyua (Laikipia), Joe Nyutu (Murang’a) and John Methu (Nyandarua).
Others are Joseph Githuku (Lamu), Enoch Wambua (Kitui), Dan Maanzo (Makueni), Agnes Kavindu (Machakos), Shakila Abdalla (nominated) and Okiya Omtatah (Busia) and Seki Lenku (Kajiado).
Senator Crystal Asige (nominated) was the only ODM legislator who voted in favour of Gachagua in all the charges.
Other vocal senators, including
Richard Onyonka (Kisii), convicted Gachagua on some charges and
vindicated him on others.