DP Rigathi Gachagua impeached as 281 MPs vote in favour of special motion

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has been impeached by Parliament after 281 out of 350 members voted in favour of his removal from office. 44 MPs voted no and one MP abstained.

Despite Gachagua's defence before Parliament, members argued that he failed to present sufficient evidence to justify staying in office.

The motion for his impeachment was brought forward by Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse, who accused the Deputy President of multiple violations of the Constitution and other laws governing public office conduct.

Mutuse outlined the grounds for impeachment, including accusations that Gachagua had violated various constitutional articles.

He claimed that the Deputy President had persistently made statements threatening to discriminate against sections of the Kenyan population in terms of public appointments and resource allocation.

Additionally, Gachagua was accused of undermining the presidency and the Cabinet by making unilateral public statements that contradicted government policies and the President’s role as a symbol of national unity.

Further charges included undermining devolution, with accusations that Gachagua interfered with Nairobi County's operations, inciting citizens against lawful directives, and publicly criticising county leadership.

The motion also alleged that Gachagua had violated the independence of the judiciary by publicly attacking a High Court judge and threatening to file a petition for their removal. The Deputy President was accused of breaching his oath of office and making inflammatory public statements that endangered national unity.

Mutuse further claimed that Gachagua had engaged in gross economic crimes, including conflict of interest, abuse of office, and amassing wealth incompatible with his legitimate income, allegedly acquiring property worth Sh5.2 billion.

"It is important for this House to note that in the morning, I did present evidence of suspicious money transactions," Mutuse said.

He alleged that Gachagua had used relatives and proxies to acquire the properties. "That evidence remains uncontroverted,” he said.

Kimani Ichung’wah, the Kikuyu MP and Majority Leader, also spoke in support of the impeachment. He emphasised that his decision to support the motion was guided by doing what was right for the country, not necessarily what was popular.

“What may be popular today may not be right. I am here to do what is right not just for the people of Mt Kenya, I am here to do what is right for the greater good of the Republic of Kenya,” he said.

Ichung’wah went on to criticise Gachagua, claiming that behind his public persona lay a dangerous figure who posed a threat to the unity of the nation.

“Behind the veneer of humility that you have seen here this evening, behind the veneer that Kenyans saw on national TVs on Sunday pretending to apologise, is a dark face of violence. It's a dark face that is a great danger to our nationhood,” he said.

He added that Gachagua's actions reflected selfish, regional, and sectarian interests, which undermined the unity of the country.

Referring to the charges of corruption, Ichung’wah quoted MP Otiende Amollo, who had earlier remarked, “If you have to spend two hours on national TV to defend corruption and tell the world how you are not corrupt, you are definitely corrupt.”

Despite Gachagua’s defence, the overwhelming majority in Parliament voted for his removal, citing a breach of trust and a failure to uphold the integrity required of his office.