Kenyan MPs vote to impeach deputy president

Kenyan MPs did the unthinkable voting overwhelmingly in favour of removing the country’s deputy president over accusations of corruption. Lawmakers also accuse Rigathi Gachagua of practising ethnically divisive politics and undermining the government.

Gachagua denies any wrongdoing in a row that follows his recent fallout with President William Ruto. Speaker of Kenya’s parliament, Moses Wetangula announced that 281 MPs had adopted an 11-charge impeachment motion with 44 MPs voting against and one abstaining.

It means Gachagua has become the first Kenyan deputy president to be impeached by the National Assembly – the country’s Senate will decide if he gets ousted.

Accused of corruption

He is accused of acquiring properties through corrupt means. The vice-president, who is a wealthy businessman, said most of the houses and land belonged to his late brother’s estate. However, many Kenyan MPs took to the parliamentary floor on Oct.08 to tarnish his reputation – and to show they were on President Ruto’s side in this row at the top of government.

The political drama has taken the focus off demands of the largely disgruntled Kenyan public – as they struggle to cope with the high cost of living.

The 59-year-old politician, popularly known as “Riggy G”, has described allegations against him as “outrageous” and “sheer propaganda”.

Political tensions have been running high in the East African country since June when deadly demonstrations erupted over unpopular tax hikes, exposing a deep rift between Ruto and Gachagua.

Ruto sacked most of his cabinet and brought in members of the main opposition following the anti-tax protests, in which more than 50 people were killed. Several MPs allied to Gachagua were summoned by police last month, accused of funding the protests – though no charges were brought.

Ahead of the vote, security was heightened in the capital, Nairobi, with police patrols and major roads leading to parliament blocked to the public. About 20 lawyers were hired to defend Gachagua against the impeachment motion, local media reported. A total of 291 MPs, more than the 117 required by the constitution, had earlier signed the motion to initiate the impeachment process.

Gachagua failed in numerous court bids to stop the proceedings going ahead. In a televised speech a day before impeachment, he condemned Mwengi Mutuse, the MP who drafted the motion, calling the move “shameful and sensational”.

The motion lists 11 grounds for impeachment, including accusations that Gachagua amassed assets worth 5.2bn Kenyan shillings ($40m, £31m) in two years in unexplained wealth.

Gachagua dismisses allegations

“I am innocent of all these charges,” Gachagua said. “I have no intention whatsoever to resign from this job. I will fight to the end.”

He defended the controversial renovation for his official residence in the capital. When big decisions are to be taken by MPs, the constitution stipulates that the public must be consulted first.

According to a parliamentary report, more than 200,000 responses were received as part of that process – of which 65% supported Gachagua’s impeachment, while nearly 34% opposed it.

On Oct.06, Gachagua appealed to Ruto and MPs to forgive him for any wrongdoing during his tenure. He later clarified that his apology was not an admission of guilt.

Ruto is yet to comment about the impeachment motion publicly, but he is on record in the early days of his presidency as saying that he would never publicly humiliate his deputy.

Gachagua, a wealthy businessman from the vote-rich Mount Kenya region, battled previous corruption scandals to become Ruto’s running mate in a closely fought election in August 2022.

He is from the Kikuyu community, the country’s largest ethnic group, while President Ruto is a Kalenjin, an ethnic group which mainly lives in the Rift Valley.

These two communities were at loggerheads after elections in 2007 – ethnic violence in which 1,200 people died nationwide. In 1989, then Vice-President Josephat Karanja resigned from office when he faced a similar motion.