Kenya’s Senate Set to Debate Deputy President’s Impeachment

Kenya’s Senate is scheduled to debate the potential dismissal of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua next week, following an announcement by Senate Speaker Amason Kingi. This decision comes after the National Assembly voted on Tuesday to impeach Gachagua, with a decisive 281 to 44 majority, surpassing the required two-thirds threshold.

The Senate will review the allegations against Gachagua on Wednesday and Thursday next week. If at least two-thirds of the senators vote in favor, the impeachment will be upheld, leading to Gachagua’s removal from office. Gachagua, facing 11 charges including accusations of self-enrichment and inciting ethnic divisions, has rejected all allegations, labeling the proceedings a “theatre of the absurd.”

The fallout between Gachagua and President William Ruto, whom he supported in the 2022 election, has become public following protests earlier this year against proposed tax hikes and rising living costs. President Ruto has not commented on the impeachment proceedings.

Gachagua’s controversial statements, likening the government to a private company and suggesting that those who backed the coalition should have priority for public jobs and projects, have caused divisions within Ruto’s coalition. The impeachment process has polarized opinions among Kenyans, with some urging lawmakers to focus on economic issues and others calling for both Ruto and Gachagua to step down.

“We’ve seen no positive change in two years, just more crises. They should both go since they came as a package,” said Melissa Kagondu, a small business owner in Nairobi.

Nairobi-based analyst Robert Shaw warned that the impeachment could further impact Kenya’s economic stability, especially after the protests in June and July. “If I were an investor, I’d be preparing for turbulence by consolidating my position,” he noted.