Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has been impeached by the Senate.
The vote took place while Gachagua was in the hospital suffering from severe chest pains on Thursday, October 17, 2024.
Gachagua, who was facing 11 charges, including gross misconduct and abuse of office, has officially been sent packing after the House voted on 1,4,5,6,9 grounds against him.
The charges cited gross violations of Articles 10, 27, 73, 75, and 129 of the Constitution.
Gachagua was found guilty of five out of 11 counts against him.
The beleaguered deputy president is set to make history as the first second in command to be impeached since the 2010 Constitution came into effect.
The impeachment motion was introduced in the National Assembly last week by Kibwezi West MP, Mwengi Mutuse. In a decisive vote, 281 MPs supported the motion, with only 44 opposing it.
Gachagua ill
On Thursday, October 17, 2024, Senate Speaker Amason Kingi suspended the session following news that Gachagua had fallen ill shortly before he was due to testify in his impeachment hearing.
Gachagua had been expected to take the stand for cross-examination.
“Having considered the two sides, my directions are as follows: we will suspend this sitting and resume exactly at 5:00 PM. So, we expect the DP then to take the witness stand at 5:00 PM. This is a time-bound process, unfortunately. It is so ordered,” Kingi stated.
When the Senate reconvened at 5 PM, Speaker Kingi asked Gachagua’s legal team to present their client for testimony, but the Deputy President was still absent.
Senior Counsel Paul Muite informed the Senate that his client, Deputy President, had been admitted to Karen Hospital with severe chest pains.
Muite explained that although he had been able to contact the medical team treating Gachagua, he was not permitted to speak with him directly due to his condition.
The doctors advised that the Deputy President needed complete rest.
“Through you, Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform the honourable senators that I managed to reach the doctors attending to the Deputy President. Due to his condition, I could not speak with him on their advice, but I was informed that he is suffering from intense chest pains,” Muite told the Senate.
Adding;
“Honourable Speaker, may I begin by apologizing for the Deputy President’s absence and the resulting delay? The unfortunate reality is that the Deputy President has fallen seriously ill and is currently hospitalized.”