Nairobi, Kenya | By Michael Wandati | Kenya’s Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua filed a petition with the High Court in Nairobi on Thursday, aiming to block an impeachment process against him initiated by lawmakers earlier this week, according to court documents.
Supporters of President William Ruto introduced a motion in Parliament on Tuesday to remove Gachagua from office, accusing him of inciting ethnic tensions, undermining the government, and accumulating a significant and unexplained wealth.
Gachagua contends that he has been marginalized and refutes allegations from Ruto’s allies, claiming he was responsible for the violent anti-government protests that occurred earlier this year.
Gachagua said the impeachment motion was based on falsehoods that constituted a “choreographed political lynching designed to defeat the sovereign will of the Kenyan people expressed at the presidential election held August 2022,” according to the petition documents seen by the Kampala Dispatch.
Originating from the populous Mount Kenya region, Gachagua played a pivotal role in mobilizing a significant voting bloc that contributed to Ruto’s ascent to power. However, reports suggest that their relationship has soured since then.
Gachagua’s influence has waned, especially after Ruto appointed members of the main opposition coalition to his government, following protests in June and July that resulted in over 50 fatalities due to planned tax hikes.
Ruto has remained silent on the impeachment proceedings, and calls to his office this week went unanswered.
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The impeachment process is set to commence with a public participation program on Friday, during which Gachagua will have the opportunity to address the allegations against him in the lower chamber of Parliament on October 8.
Gachagua contends that requiring the public to submit oral and written contributions before he can defend himself infringes on his right to a fair hearing.
“I have a cogent basis that demolishes each and every of the 11 alleged grounds set out in the (impeachment) motion which will not be considered by the public if the public participation exercise… proceeds,” Gachagua wrote in the documents.
