BREAKING: Vice President Hospitalised
Information reaching Ibom Focus says that Vice President Hospitalised
Kenya’s Deputy President, Rigathi Gachagua, has been hospitalised during his impeachment trial, his lawyer informed the Senate on Thursday.
Gachagua, who played a key role in President William Ruto’s election victory two years ago, has faced growing pressure from presidential allies accusing him of disloyalty and making controversial public statements.
Last week, the National Assembly voted to impeach Gachagua, and he was scheduled to defend himself against 11 impeachment charges on Thursday.
However, Gachagua was unable to attend the Senate proceedings due to his health.
“The sad reality is that the deputy president of the republic of Kenya has been taken sick, very sick, and as I address, Mr Speaker, this honourable house (of) Senators, he is in hospital,” his lawyer, Paul Muite, stated.
The impeachment trial is still set to move forward as senators will soon vote on whether to remove Gachagua from office.
It was reported that public participation for the impeachment motion against President William Ruto’s deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, is scheduled to take place across the 47 counties on Friday.
According to Capital News, this follows Speaker Moses Wetangula’s announcement that the House will adjourn from 12 pm to 2 pm on Wednesday to discuss the details of the public participation exercise.
The motion to impeach Gachagua will be debated on Tuesday next week, at which point the House will vote to either support or reject it.
Wetangula has confirmed that Deputy President Gachagua can defend himself either personally or through legal counsel.
“It would be absurd for any motion to be concluded without public involvement. Court decisions have also emphasized this direction. Public participation is integral to such removals,” the Speaker stated.
To facilitate this process, the House will adjourn its sessions on Thursday afternoon, allowing lawmakers to engage with their constituents.
“The public participation will occur across the 47 counties, and the House will reconvene tomorrow to allow legal counsel to explain the modalities,” Wetangula added.
The impeachment motion against Gachagua was formally introduced in Parliament by Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse, who has leveled over ten accusations against him, including constitutional breaches, corruption, and incitement.
Mutuse reported that he has gathered the support of 291 MPs, exceeding the required 117 signatures to meet the constitutional threshold for impeachment.
“I want to make it clear to this House and to Kenyans that I hold no malice or personal vendetta against the Deputy President. I am simply fulfilling my duty as a citizen and Member of Parliament,” Mutuse stated during the session.
The motion outlines nine charges against Gachagua, including gross constitutional violations and promoting ethnic discrimination, alongside undermining national unity through divisive public statements.
Gachagua is also accused of undermining government policies and failing to uphold his duties as Deputy President regarding collective Cabinet responsibility. Mutuse, defending his position, claimed to have nine witnesses prepared to provide evidence for each charge.
“If the people can’t receive services because of Gachagua, we believe it’s necessary to remove him for the sake of Kenyans,” he asserted.
In addition to the constitutional violations, the motion alleges Gachagua engaged in corruption, money laundering, and abuse of office, thereby eroding public trust and contravening anti-corruption laws.
“Engaging in corruption and money laundering while in office undermines public trust and violates the law,” Mutuse concluded.
