Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo has dismissed the ongoing efforts to impeach Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua as “a big joke,” comparing it to mob justice, which he claims stems from the DP’s refusal to distribute handouts to Members of Parliament. In an interview on Citizen TV’s *Day Break* program on Thursday, Maanzo alleged that the MPs supporting Gachagua’s impeachment had expected him to provide funds from his confidential expenditure budget.
“There is nobody in Kenya not guilty of tribalism. What is happening is mob justice against Gachagua. If the issue is his wealth, he should be given the chance to declare and explain it,” Maanzo said. “The MPs expected Gachagua to call them every Friday to give them something from the confidential budget. These accusations are all about that.”
Gachagua faces accusations including making inciteful remarks, undermining the President and the Cabinet, illegally amassing properties worth Ksh. 5.2 billion, and interfering with Nairobi County’s leadership. He is also criticized for his comments about High Court Judge Esther Maina, bullying, and gross misconduct. So far, 291 of the 345 MPs have signed in support of the motion.
Maanzo urged Kenyans to vote out the MPs behind Gachagua’s impeachment in the next election, saying, “The House is just wasting our time. Parliament is lynching Gachagua, and Kenyans should now lynch Parliament by dealing with every single MP in the next election.”
Ahead of the special motion to impeach Gachagua, the National Assembly suspended its Thursday session to prepare for public participation in the process. The debate on the motion is set to begin at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, October 8, and will continue until the motion’s conclusion later that afternoon.
Maanzo has previously warned that if Gachagua’s impeachment succeeds, there will be a similar motion to impeach President William Ruto. He has filed a censure motion against Ruto, accusing him of breaching the Constitution, marginalizing some Kenyans, and increasing national tensions by failing to ensure proper public participation in his plans.
Should Gachagua’s impeachment motion pass, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula will notify Senate Speaker Amason Kingi within two days for action. Kingi will then convene the Senate within seven days, and if 45 out of 67 senators support the grounds for impeachment, Gachagua will be removed from office as Deputy President of Kenya.
