Kenya’s Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has been hospitalized, causing him to miss his impeachment trial in the Senate. His lawyer announced that Gachagua was taken to The Karen Hospital due to intense chest pains, prompting the adjournment of proceedings. Initially, he had attended the Senate session earlier in the day but later became too unwell to testify as scheduled.
Gachagua’s impeachment trial follows an overwhelming vote in the National Assembly last week to approve charges against him, which include corruption, inciting ethnic divisions, and undermining government authority. To remove Gachagua from office, a two-thirds majority of the 67 senators is required. Gachagua has pleaded not guilty to all charges and characterized the impeachment process as a “political witch hunt.”
The conflict between Gachagua and President William Ruto, who were elected on the same ticket two years ago, has been notable. Tensions escalated in June when Gachagua publicly criticized the head of the intelligence agency for not adequately informing Ruto about the mass protests against unpopular tax hikes. This public dispute occurred shortly before Ruto was compelled to withdraw those taxes and reshuffle his cabinet, including members of the opposition.
During the impeachment trial, various witnesses have accused Gachagua of extraordinary wrongdoing warranting his removal. Notably, Gachagua has been alleged to have amassed significant wealth, reportedly worth 5.2 billion Kenyan shillings (approximately $40 million) in the two years since taking office. He claims that many of these assets came from his late brother’s estate.
One of the trial witnesses, Mwengi Mutuse, described Gachagua’s actions as violations of the constitution. He framed his accusations around comments Gachagua made that likened the government to a shareholding company, implying that only supporters of the ruling party would receive developmental benefits. Under cross-examination, Mutuse struggled to substantiate some of his claims, especially regarding the valuation of Gachagua’s alleged wealth.
Furthermore, allegations surfaced concerning Gachagua’s involvement in a controversial tender for mosquito nets. Andrew Mulwa, a former executive at the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency, testified that Gachagua had called him to request documents related to the tender, which was already under investigation. Mulwa expressed that in his 15 years of service, he had never received such a request from a sitting deputy president. Gachagua has dismissed these claims as ridiculous and baseless, asserting that no funds were lost during the tender process.
The third witness, Abdi Mohamud, who serves as the deputy chief executive of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, provided testimony regarding conflicts of interest and suggested that Gachagua had accepted gifts, specifically cows, from the public. As the trial was expected to continue, the Senate was set to debate the motion before taking a vote.
Gachagua’s journey from a first-time MP to Deputy President in just five years has been noteworthy. He is viewed as a wealthy businessman from the influential Mount Kenya region. As discussions around his impeachment dominate public discourse, there are speculations about potential replacements should the Senate vote in favor of his removal. Among the names mentioned are Murang’a County Governor Irungu Kang’ata, Kirinyaga County Governor Anne Waiguru, Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki, and Foreign Affairs Minister Musalia Mudavadi.
While Gachagua’s health issue has temporarily stalled the proceedings, the political landscape surrounding his impeachment remains tense, with expectations of significant implications for the Kenyan government depending on the outcome of the Senate vote.
