Kenya’s Deputy President Impeached Amidst Health Crisis: Senate Removes Rigathi Gachagua from Office
IN POLITICS: Kenya’s Deputy President Impeached Amidst Health Crisis: Senate Removes Rigathi Gachagua from Office
Kenya’s political landscape took a dramatic turn as Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua was removed from office while receiving medical treatment. The Kenyan Senate voted to impeach Gachagua, a decision that has sparked widespread discussion in the country. This decision comes after Gachagua’s absence from his impeachment trial due to health issues. Gachagua, who was elected alongside President William Ruto just two years ago, has seen his political career thrown into turmoil as a result of his recent fallout with the president.
Gachagua, commonly known as “Riggy G,” had been expected to defend himself in the Senate on Thursday, following his not-guilty plea to 11 charges the previous day. However, he was unable to appear due to chest pains, which led his lawyer to request a postponement of the trial. The lawyer informed the Senate that Gachagua was receiving medical care at The Karen Hospital. Despite the request, the Senate proceeded with the trial in his absence, causing Gachagua’s defense team to walk out in protest.
The refusal to delay the trial reflects the determination of the senators to remove Gachagua from office. This impeachment follows a vote by Kenya’s National Assembly, where a large majority of members voted in favor of the impeachment, laying the groundwork for Gachagua’s trial in the Senate. Gachagua, a prominent businessman from Kenya’s Mount Kenya region, dismissed the impeachment as a “political lynching” and a conspiracy to push him out of power.
In response to the Senate vote, President Ruto swiftly moved to nominate a replacement. On Friday morning, he named Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki as his choice for the new deputy president. Parliament wasted no time in approving Kindiki’s nomination. Kindiki is a loyal supporter of Ruto and previously served as his legal representative during Ruto’s trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC). Ruto faced charges related to the post-election violence in 2007, but the case was dismissed due to a lack of evidence.
In an unexpected twist, however, the Nairobi High Court suspended both Gachagua’s impeachment and Kindiki’s swearing-in. The court’s ruling has added another layer of complexity to the situation. Despite this suspension, Gachagua’s removal from office had already been decided after the Senate upheld five charges against him, including inciting ethnic divisions and breaching his oath of office. These charges were enough to warrant his removal, a decision that bars him from holding public office in the future and strips him of his retirement benefits. However, Gachagua was cleared of six other charges, including corruption and money laundering.
The impeachment marks the end of months of tension between Gachagua and President Ruto. Their relationship began to deteriorate earlier this year when Gachagua openly criticized Kenya’s intelligence services for failing to inform the government about the extent of public dissatisfaction with tax hikes. This move was seen as undermining the president’s authority. The public protests against the tax increases had forced Ruto to retract the new taxes, and in a show of force, Ruto dismissed his cabinet and invited opposition members to join his government.
Throughout the impeachment trial, Gachagua’s legal team vehemently denied the charges, describing them as baseless and embarrassing. His lawyer, Elisha Ongoya, argued that the charges lacked merit and accused the Senate of rushing the proceedings. Gachagua had expressed his intention to challenge the Senate’s decision if the vote went against him.
While Gachagua was receiving treatment for heart issues, doctors have assured the public that his condition is stable. According to reports, the 59-year-old had been undergoing tests, but his health was not in immediate danger. Despite his absence, the political developments continued to unfold rapidly.
President Ruto has remained relatively silent on the impeachment, aside from officially notifying parliament of Kindiki’s nomination as the new deputy president. Ruto and Gachagua’s partnership was instrumental in Ruto’s victory two years ago, particularly because Gachagua helped secure support from the Kikuyu-dominated Mount Kenya region, which is one of Kenya’s largest voting blocs. However, their alliance fractured over time, leading to Gachagua’s eventual downfall.
This development echoes Ruto’s own political journey. He previously served as deputy president to Uhuru Kenyatta, another Kikuyu, but their relationship soured when Kenyatta refused to support Ruto’s presidential bid in 2022. Both Ruto and Kenyatta were once co-defendants at the ICC for their alleged roles in the 2007 election violence. Although the cases were dismissed, the events left a lasting mark on Kenyan politics.
Kithure Kindiki, who hails from the same region as Gachagua, has been a frontrunner to replace him. His nomination has already passed through parliament, and his swearing-in is expected to happen soon, despite the current suspension. Given Ruto’s majority in parliament and support from the opposition, Kindiki’s path to office seems secure, signaling the consolidation of Ruto’s power amid these political upheavals.
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Source: Myjoyonline.com
