Kenya’s Deputy President Gachagua Faces Impeachment Vote
Kenya’s parliament is scheduled to vote on impeaching Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Tuesday, in a political spectacle that has highlighted a schism inside the ruling party.
Lawmakers have accused the 59-year-old deputy to President William Ruto of corruption, undermining the administration, and engaging in ethnically divisive politics, among other allegations.
Gachagua dismissed the claims as “outrageous” and “sheer propaganda” at a press conference on Monday, claiming they were part of a plot to remove him from power.
Gachagua is a businessman from Kenya’s largest tribe, the Kikuyu. He overcame prior corruption allegations to become deputy leader and Ruto’s running mate in a fiercely contested election in August 2022.
But in recent weeks, he has complained of being sidelined by his boss and been accused of supporting youth-led anti-government protests that broke out in June.
Political tensions have been running high since the sometimes deadly demonstrations erupted over unpopular tax hikes, exposing divisions between Gachagua and Ruto.
Several MPs allied with Gachagua were summoned by police last month, accused of funding the protests.
No formal charges have been lodged by prosecutors and no judicial inquiry has been opened against Gachagua.
But lawmakers have listed 11 grounds for impeachment, including accusations that he amassed assets worth 5.2 billion shillings ($40 million) since the last election, despite an annual salary of just $93,000.
Among the listed assets was Kenya’s renowned Treetops Hotel, where Britain’s then-Princess Elizabeth was staying when she became queen.
Gachagua says his wealth has come entirely through legitimate business deals and an inheritance from his late brother.
He has warned that his dismissal will cause unhappiness among his fans.
Kenyan MPs began the impeachment process on October 1, with 291 members of parliament supporting the resolution, much over the 117 minimum required.
To pass on Tuesday, the proposal must get the support of two-thirds of the lower chamber, the National Assembly. It would then proceed to the upper chamber, the Senate.
If impeached, Gachagua will be the first deputy president to be ousted in this manner since the possibility was included in Kenya’s updated 2010 constitution.
AFP
