Why the die is cast for DP as Senators to decide his fate

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua (centre) arrives at the National Assembly for impeachment hearing on October 8, 2024. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

The die is cast for Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua after 282 members of the National Assembly voted to impeach him on Tuesday.

Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse tabled the impeachment motion and the floor was opened for debate, after which the second in command pleaded his case.

Gachagua’s passionate plea was however futile, as more than two-thirds of lawmakers voted to axe the outspoken DP. This was not the first time in the past week, where things went wrong for the former Mathira MP.

When he addressed faithful during a prayer meeting at his Karen residence, Nairobi, on Sunday, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua cut the figure of a subdued man.

The combative politician appeared to have had a moment of self-reflection ostensibly after the day’s sermon. He sought forgiveness from the president, legislators, and anyone he had wronged.

The DP appeared crestfallen after 282 members of the National Assembly appended their signatures in support of an impeachment motion against him.

At the same time, two days of public participation on his ouster bid were held across the country. The process, which started at the county level on Friday, was scaled down to the constituency level on Saturday following a court order. The decision was in response to a petition filed by Kirinyaga Woman Representative Jane Maina, an ally of the DP.

The DP suffered a setback after courts declined to issue orders to stop the impeachment motion following 19 similar petitions.

Chaos were witnessed in parts of the country during the public hearings. In Nairobi, tempers flared at the Bomas of Kenya, with some contributors terming MPs as selfish and unable to represent their voters.

Activist Morara Kebaso was roughed up and had to leave the venue.

Kenyans speculated about Ruto’s silence on the issue, wondering if calls from some citizens to dismiss his entire administration had shaken the Head of State.

“The kufa makanga kufa dereva comments have not shaken the boss (President Ruto) at all. He moved on from Gen Zs, this is nothing to him,” a UDA senator told The Standard.

The impeachment motion against Gachagua is viewed by President Ruto’s allies as a symbolic break with the vote-rich Mt Kenya region.

There is a belief that the president knows he has already lost Mt Kenya votes and is thus looking to form alliances elsewhere.

“He aims to now create confusion, divide and conquer the mountain. He intends to create many centres of power by naming a deputy from the same region,” the senator added.  

The first-time senator said Ruto is not scared of firing his deputy because, “without power, the DP will become irrelevant in the political space after a few months.”

So high are the stakes that senators supporting the impeachment have devised a plan to prevent themselves from being ‘picked’ and taken to a hotel outside the capital. This strategy aims to “bribe” the lawmakers with a mini-vacation, forcing them to miss the plenary session and voting.

Gachagua’s political survival is further complicated by the confrontational nature of his allies, who have been accused by Ruto’s allies of being arrogant and loud-mouthed.

Dr Charles Nyambuga, a political commentator, believes the President’s resolve to axe his deputy is strong, regardless of the public views. “If you listened to close allies like Deputy Speaker Gladys Boss and National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichungw’a, you realise that he (President Ruto) decided that his deputy must go.”

On Monday, Boss and 19 other Woman Representatives dismissed the DP’s plea for forgiveness, terming his impeachment necessary to eliminate tribalism in government.

“After the vote is taken, you will never hear of Gachagua again. The Deputy President has failed to serve the President and the country diligently,” Boss a day before the National Assembly.

Kericho Woman Mp Beatrice Kemei said once the DP is impeached the 291 MPs who signed the motion would urge President Ruto to pick his successor from Mt Kenya.

“We need a Deputy President who embodies a national outlook, not a tribal kingpin like Rigathi. We will do what is right and just. The issue of forgiveness for Gachagua’s transgressions can be addressed afterward,” Kemei said.