A group of senators has criticized the evidence presented by Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse to support his impeachment motion against Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, with some describing it as a wild goose chase.
The Senate is scheduled to vote on the motion Thursday night in an unprecedented process that could result in Gachagua becoming the first deputy president in the country’s history to be impeached.
The vote will occur without the deputy president, who was taken to Karen Hospital with chest pains shortly before he was to appear and defend himself.
A request from his legal team to postpone the hearings to Tuesday for him to recover was denied, leading to his lawyers and several senators opposing his ouster walking out of the chamber.
Mutuse cited 11 grounds for removing the deputy president, which the National Assembly upheld on October 8, where 281 MPs voted in favor of Gachagua’s removal, compared to 44 who opposed it.
Commenting on the developments Thursday night ahead of the vote, Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei stated that Mutuse’s evidence against the deputy president did not meet the necessary threshold for impeachment.
He specifically challenged the MP’s claim that the deputy president amassed wealth totaling SH5. 2 billion within just two years of service, a figure far exceeding his known income sources of approximately SH24 million.
“Even regarding unexplained wealth, Mr. Speaker, the mover did not provide us with a wealth declaration form from the EACC to demonstrate the deputy president’s unexplained wealth. ” “The grounds that have been presented in the House are based on unstable foundations,” the legislator stated.
“Furthermore, regarding the 11 grounds, the initiator was merely on a fishing expedition,” he added.
Cherargei acknowledged that the impeachment could proceed solely based on its political nature, even without criminal accountability, but emphasized that senators have the ability to exercise their judgment.
“I recognize that the decision we make today is not solely about the Deputy President; it is about justice for the Deputy President, justice for the people of Kenya, and justice for every Kenyan who voted for the Deputy President. ”
Nyandarua Senator John Methu, who expressed his opposition to the impeachment motion, urged his fellow legislators to likewise reject the motion, stating that it lacks merit.
“When questions were raised, he [Mutuse] remarked, ‘I don’t have an issue with Company One; I don’t have an issue with Company Two, but I might have a problem in the future. However, the Deputy President must be removed from office,’” he stated.
Methu further cautioned of a troubling political separation if Gachagua is impeached.
“The only offense that Gachagua has committed is a political one that has resulted in his removal, regardless of whether he is in the hospital or not. ” “That can only occur with the direct approval of President Ruto,” Methu stated.
His Kitui counterpart, Enoch Wambua, asserted that Mutuse’s allegations were filled with innuendos, hearsay, and generalities that could not substantiate any criminal activity on the Deputy President’s part.
Kiambu Senator Karung’o Thangwa informed the House that they might be impeaching the Deputy President based on preliminary allegations.
“We don’t even fall in love at first sight anymore, yet we have made the process of impeaching the Deputy President easier than ending a troublesome relationship,” Thangwa remarked.
Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah stated, “I stand here to uphold the oath of office I took to protect the Constitution of Kenya, which includes giving credit where it is due. ” An impeachment is not equivalent to a vote of no confidence.
