Gachagua to defend himself before Senate plenary next week
By Maureen Kinyanjui |
Each charge will be voted on individually, and if at least two-thirds of the Senate members vote to uphold any charge, the Deputy President will be removed from office.
The Senate on Wednesday resolved to try Deputy President Rigathi Gichagua through plenary.
This is after Majority Leader Aaron Cheruyiot's proposal for an 11-member special committee to hear the impeachment trial against the DP failed to get a seconder.
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Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna who was mentioned by Cheruyiot as the seconder declined to second his motion.
“This is a matter that is very unique and has elicited public attention. Therefore, given the mood of the house especially on the minority side, I respectfully decline to second that motion,” he stated.
As a result, Senate Speaker Amason Kingi explained that the proposal to form the committee was deemed withdrawn in accordance with Senate Standing Order 71, which states that a motion must be seconded for it to proceed. Without a seconder, the motion was automatically withdrawn.
Sen. @edwinsifuna declines to second the motion by the Majority Leader @Aaroncheruiyot for the establishment of a special committee to investigate the proposed removal from office by impeachment, of the Deputy President H.E. Rigathi Gachagua.
— Senate of Kenya (@Senate_KE) October 9, 2024
The matter will be heard in plenary pic.twitter.com/HCuYJEabnU
“Any motion that is not seconded shall be considered withdrawn and shall not be moved again in the same session unless with the permission of the Speaker,” Kingi said.
With the defeat of the special committee proposal, Kingi announced that the Senate would handle the impeachment through a plenary session.
“The Senate will therefore proceed with investigation of the proposed removal from office by impeachment of His Excellency, Rigathi Gachagua, the Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya, and plenary,” Speaker Kingi ruled.
The Speaker also directed the Clerk of the Senate to issue invitations for the appearance of both DP Gachagua and representatives from the National Assembly today, October 9, 2024.
The Deputy President and the National Assembly are expected to file their responses with the Clerk’s office by 5 pm on Monday, October 14, 2024.
In addition to that, Speaker Kingi announced that the trial to be heard next week on Wednesday, October 16 and Thursday, October 17, 2024.
In a historic vote on Tuesday evening, 281 MPs supported the impeachment motion against Gachagua, while 44 legislators opposed it, and one abstained.
The Special Motion, presented by Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse, detailed 11 charges against the Deputy President.
These charges included gross violations of the Constitution, undermining the President and the Cabinet, compromising Devolution, and publicly attacking a judge, which jeopardised judicial independence.
Additional allegations encompassed making inciteful statements, engaging in economic crimes, spreading false and divisive remarks, publicly defying the President, and persistently bullying State and public officials.
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