Kenyan lawmakers have overwhelmingly voted to impeach Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, citing accusations of corruption and divisive ethnic politics.
Gachagua, however, denies any wrongdoing, calling the allegations “outrageous” and “sheer propaganda.”
The vote comes after a public fallout between Gachagua and President William Ruto, with tensions between the two escalating over the past few months.
On Tuesday, Speaker Moses Wetangula announced that 281 MPs supported the 11-charge impeachment motion, with 44 voting against and one abstaining.
Gachagua is now the first Kenyan deputy president to face impeachment by the National Assembly. The final decision on his removal will rest with the Senate.
Gachagua, a wealthy businessman, is accused of acquiring properties through corrupt means, but he insists that much of the property in question belonged to his late brother’s estate.
Despite his defense, many MPs backed the impeachment motion, signaling their alignment with President Ruto in this political conflict.
The motion accuses Gachagua of amassing assets worth 5.2 billion Kenyan shillings ($40 million) in unexplained wealth.
The political upheaval has shifted attention away from public concerns over the high cost of living, as Kenyans struggle to cope with rising prices.
Tensions have been particularly high since June, when violent protests erupted over unpopular tax hikes, further exposing the rift between Ruto and Gachagua.
The protests, in which over 50 people were killed, led Ruto to sack most of his cabinet and appoint members of the opposition.
Gachagua’s allies were also accused of funding the demonstrations, though no formal charges were filed.
Security was heightened in Nairobi ahead of the impeachment vote, with major roads leading to parliament blocked and police patrolling the area.
About 20 lawyers were reportedly hired to defend Gachagua, while more than 200,000 public responses were gathered during the consultation process required by the constitution.
Of these, 65% supported the impeachment, while nearly 34% opposed it.
Gachagua, who has faced previous corruption scandals, vowed to “fight to the end” and refused to step down, stating that he is innocent of all charges.
He condemned the motion as “shameful and sensational,” specifically criticizing MP Mwengi Mutuse, who drafted the impeachment motion.
In a televised speech, Gachagua appealed to Ruto and MPs for forgiveness but clarified that his apology was not an admission of guilt.
Though Ruto has yet to comment publicly on the impeachment, he has previously stated that he would not publicly humiliate his deputy.
Gachagua, from the Mount Kenya region and part of the Kikuyu community, played a key role in Ruto’s 2022 election victory, where they won in a closely contested race.
The impeachment drama has also revived memories of the 2007 post-election ethnic violence between the Kikuyu and Kalenjin communities, in which 1,200 people died.
Gachagua remains defiant, saying, “I have no intention whatsoever to resign from this job,” as he faces the final decision from the Senate.
Source-BBC
