His lawyer Paul Muite revealed that his client had been taken ill following a lunch break at the impeachment trial.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has fallen ill and has been rushed to hospital. This came just minutes before his scheduled appearance at the Senate.
His lawyer Paul Muite revealed that his client had been taken ill following a lunch break at the impeachment trial, a matter which prompted the intervention of Senate Speaker, Amason Kingi.
The news immediately sent the Senate into an abyss of confusion. Earlier, Gachagua was reported to be missing during the plenary session.
The Deputy President’s legal team was forced to raise concerns at the Speaker of the Senate, requesting more time for them to look for the deputy president who was nowhere to be found.
Lawyer Paul Muite. /FILE
The Senators hearing the proceedings requested for Speaker Amason Kingi to adjourn the proceedings until Gachagua is located. Muite then told the Senate, “The sad reality is that the Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya has been taken very sick, and as I address Mr Speaker and this House, he is in the hospital.”
He added, “That is the sad reality.” Muite has not revealed what hospital the country’s second in command has been rushed to, or what ailment he is suffering from.
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi has since suspended the sitting until 5.00 pm. “Rule 11 overrules the procedure where the DP fails to appear, the Senate can actually proceed or for exceptional reasons to be recorded permits a late appearance before the Senate of the DP.”
“Having considered the two sides, my directions are as follows that we will suspend this sitting and resume exactly 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,” directed Kingi.
Gachagua was meant to be cross-examined by the lawyers representing the National Assembly led by Senior Counsel James Orengo.
Following the events, the Speaker was compelled to grant lawmakers time for consultation while also engaging with the legal counsels representing both the National Assembly and Gachagua to determine the next course of action for the House.
Gachagua’s defense team asked the Senate to grant him time to visit and evaluate the situation before reporting back to the House on the condition of Gachagua. “My proposal is that you give me at least the rest of the day to go and have an assessment of his (Deputy President) situation and maybe even come back here by 5 pm,” Muite told the Senate.
However, the National Assembly legal team opposed this and argued that this process is time-bound. ”I have heard what Senior Counsel Paul Muite has said, and Mr. Speaker, you have made it quite clear that these proceedings are time-bound.”
“It is not so much about the situation in which the Deputy President finds himself, it is about the Senate complying with the provisions of the Constitution. That within that timeframe you must make a decision,” Orengo contested.
The chain of events came after Gachagua was reported to be a no-show, confusing the House as it was meant to resume for the afternoon session.
“The DP was going to take the stand. We came in here, I communicated the programme for the afternoon, and I said we are going to execute it with military precision owing to the fact that we needed to conclude business today. SC Paul Muite indicated that he cannot get hold of his client, that is not the concern of this house, so time is running out. The floor is available to the DP and no other Senator,” stated Speaker Kingi.
