The Kenyan Senate has removed Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua from office. The vote took place on Thursday evening, despite a request from Gachagua’s lawyer, Paul Muite, to delay the proceedings due to Gachagua being hospitalized after a sudden illness.
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi had given Gachagua until 5 PM local time to attend the session, but he was absent due to his health issues.
This marks a historic moment as Gachagua, at 59, becomes the first deputy president in Kenya to be impeached.
At least 53 senators supported the first charge against him. Gachagua faced a total of 11 charges but was impeached on five specific counts, including issues related to shareholding, undermining judicial independence, violations of the National Cohesion and Integrity Act, and gross misconduct linked to public criticism of the national security intelligence service.
In June, Gachagua had criticized the head of the intelligence agency for failing to adequately inform President William Ruto and the government about the scale of protests against unpopular tax increases, an action perceived as undermining the president’s authority.
Ultimately, 281 MPs voted in favor of his removal, while 44 opposed it, and one MP abstained from voting.
