The deputy president of Kenya Rigathi Gachagua has been impeached over allegations of corruption.
Mr Gachagua’s impeachment marks the first-ever removal of a deputy president under Kenya’s 2010 constitution.
Announcing the impeachment, the Senate Speaker, Amason Kingi said senators voted to impeach Mr Gachagua on Thursday, October 17, /024, night.
Mr Kingi said, “Senators found him guilty on five out of 11 grounds brought against him by the National Assembly. Effectively, Mr Gachagua ceases to hold office.”
The Senate session, which extended into Thursday midnight, required only one of the charges to be upheld for the impeachment to succeed.
Ultimately, 53 out of 66 senators voted to oust 59-year-old Mr Gachagua, concluding a two-week process that attracted the attention of the whole nation.
The former deputy president faced allegations ranging from corruption and insubordination to engaging in ethnically divisive politics, money laundering, undermining government initiatives and intimidating public officials.
Despite his legal team’s defence, Mr Gachagua’s position became untenable when the Senate opted to proceed with hearings in his absence after he was reportedly hospitalised with “intense chest pains” on Thursday, October 17, 2024, afternoon.
Mr Kingi proposed delaying the hearing until Saturday, October 19, 2024, but the Senate voted against the motion, with the majority choosing to continue without Gachagua present.
In a swift move, President William Ruto has nominated Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki as the new deputy president of Kenya.
Mr Ruto submitted Kindiki’s name to the country’s National Assembly for approval.
