Blow for Kenya’s ex-deputy president as court upholds his impeachment

A Kenyan court has upheld the 2024 impeachment of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, barring him from holding public office.

Three High Court judges dismissed Gachagua’s claims, including that the impeachment process was politically biased against him.

The court however found that the Senate violated Gachagua’s rights when it failed to adjourn after he had fallen ill during the proceedings.

It said this did not invalidate the impeachment, but it awarded him 50m shillings ($386,000; £290,000) in compensation.

Gachagua has turned into a fierce critic of President William Ruto. The ruling weakens his ambition to run for president, as impeachment bars him from holding public office.

Gachagua was not in court when the 350-page ruling was handed down, but his legal team have vowed to appeal.

His dramatic removal from office followed his fallout with Ruto. An overwhelming majority of lawmakers voted for his impeachment, accusing him of corruption, inciting ethnic divisions and undermining the government.

He challenged the impeachment, arguing that the charges were “baseless”, politically motivated and that he had been denied a fair hearing.

Besides upholding Gachagua’s removal from office, the court on Monday affirmed the appointment of Kithure Kindiki to replace him.

Since his removal, Gachagua has campaigned vigorously against the government, gaining a huge following in his Mount Kenya backyard.

Ahead of the ruling, he urged his supporters to remain calm, adding that he was ready for any outcome, but hoped for “justice for Rigathi Gachagua and millions of his supporters across the country”.

He asked his supporters to wait for next year to “express their anger at the ballot box”.

Ruto and Gachagua were elected on a joint ticket in 2022 – and the partnership helped Ruto win by marshalling support in Mount Kenya, the heartland of the Kikuyu people who are the largest voting bloc in Kenya.

Gachagua’s impeachment came months after huge anti-government demonstrations swept through Kenya, with protesters breaching security and setting part of the parliamentary building on fire. Dozens of protesters were killed in a security force crackdown.

The protests followed unpopular tax hikes that the government was forced to withdraw. However, public discontent has persisted, with demonstrations held last month against rising fuel prices.

Source: BBC