Kenya’s upper house of parliament, the Senate, is set to vote on Thursday on whether to remove Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua from office in what has become an unprecedented political saga that has captivated the nation.
The vote follows an impeachment trial that began earlier this week, marking only the second day of proceedings against Gachagua, who has been charged with 11 serious offences.
The charges include corruption, insubordination, undermining the government, and engaging in ethnically divisive politics—accusations that Gachagua has consistently denied.
At least two-thirds of the 67 Senate members must approve the motion for Gachagua to be removed from office.
Should that happen and his impeachment stands, he would be barred from ever holding public office.
The trial comes in the wake of a historic vote last week in the National Assembly, where 282 out of 349 members overwhelmingly voted in favour of impeaching Gachagua.
The vote comfortably exceeded the required two-thirds majority, setting the stage for the Senate to now determine the deputy president’s fate.
If the Senate votes to uphold the impeachment, Gachagua will automatically be removed from office, making him the first deputy president in Kenya’s history to be ousted through such a process since the country’s 2010 constitutional reforms introduced the impeachment mechanism.
The embattled deputy president is expected to testify in his defence on Thursday, where he will attempt to refute the claims against him and convince senators that he should remain in office.
Despite the seriousness of the charges, no criminal proceedings have been launched against him to date.
The Charges Against Gachagua
The 11 charges facing Gachagua range from allegations of financial misconduct to accusations of ethnic divisiveness.
The impeachment motion accuses him of undermining President William Ruto’s government and engaging in corrupt activities, including using proxies to amass significant wealth and state property.
In addition, Gachagua has been accused of fostering division by engaging in politics that exploits ethnic tensions, a serious charge in Kenya’s delicate political landscape.
One of the most damning accusations is that Gachagua manipulated his ailing brother, Nderitu Gachagua, into signing a will from his sickbed to acquire family assets, including a hotel.
This evidence, introduced late in the trial, has further fueled the case against the deputy president.
Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse, who sponsored the impeachment motion, argued that Gachagua’s conduct amounted to “extraordinary wrongdoing” and warranted immediate removal from office.
Mutuse also claimed that Gachagua had amassed wealth estimated at Ksh 5.2 billion through corrupt dealings, using his influence to award lucrative government tenders to family members and friends.
However, Gachagua has dismissed all the accusations as false, calling the charges “ridiculous and embarrassing.”
What Happens Next?
Thursday’s Senate vote is the final stage in the impeachment process, and the outcome will have significant political implications.
If Gachagua is removed, it will trigger a vacancy in the office of the deputy president, a critical position in Kenya’s executive branch.
Political analysts suggest that a vote to remove Gachagua could also lead to broader shifts within President William Ruto’s administration, as the two leaders have had a contentious working relationship.
If the Senate votes against the impeachment, Gachagua will be able to continue serving as deputy president, although his political future may remain uncertain, given the serious nature of the accusations that have been levelled against him.
Either way, the impeachment proceedings against Gachagua mark a historic moment in Kenya’s political history, underscoring the growing use of constitutional mechanisms to hold senior officials accountable for their actions.
All eyes will be on the Senate as it prepares to deliver its verdict in this unprecedented case.
