Kenya’s deputy president Rigathi Gachagua has been impeached by the Members of the National Assembly due to allegations of corruption, supporting anti-government protests, and other irregularities.
281 MPs voted in support of the impeachment motion against Gachagua on Tuesday. Forty-four legislators voted against the motion while one legislator abstained.
The Special Motion, introduced by Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse, outlined 11 charges against the Deputy President, including gross violation of the Constitution, undermining the President and the Cabinet, undermining Devolution, and compromising judicial independence by publicly attacking a judge.
“He has not lived to the calling; he has not lived up to the Constitution and the oath of office,” Mutuse said, “Please vote to impeach Rigathi Gachagua on all the grounds.”
The motion will now move to the Senate, where it will undergo further consideration before a final vote is taken.
Gachagua was elected Deputy President on August 9, 2022, and sworn in on September 13, 2022.
The Deputy President and President William Ruto ran on a United Democratic Party (UDA) ticket, a political party in the Kenya Kwanza Alliance.
Gachagua served as a Member of Parliament for Mathira Constituency, Nyeri County, between 2017 and 2022.
