Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has assembled a team of 20 advocates, including senior counsels, to defend him both in Parliament and in court, starting next week when the House is set to consider his proposed removal from office.
The legal team, led by Senior Counsel Paul Muite, has been meeting with Gachagua to prepare a strong defense against the 11 charges outlined in the impeachment motion.
Gachagua has been noticeably absent from both online and public engagements for the past four days. His last public appearance was a radio address to the Kalenjin community on the eve of the tabling of his impeachment motion.
Recognizing the seriousness of the case, Gachagua has compiled a legal team of at least 20 lawyers who have already begun their work. According to one of his lawyers, Victor Swanya, “We have Senior Counsel Paul Muite leading us, alongside counsels Tom Macharia, Amos Kisilu, Elisha Ongoya, and others. We’ve gone through the accusations against the Deputy President, and we’re ready to address them.”
Muite, a seasoned lawyer with over 30 years of legal and political experience, told Citizen TV that his team is already analyzing the detailed documents related to the case.
The legal team reportedly met on Saturday afternoon to strategize before Gachagua’s first appearance before lawmakers on Tuesday.
Muite, who successfully defended former Embu Governor Martin Wambora in an impeachment case, argued at the time that there had been insufficient public participation in Wambora’s removal. Gachagua’s defense team plans to use a similar argument, pointing to the rushed nature of the impeachment process.
“You’re giving notice at night, and people are waking up now to deal with something happening today. How fair is that? Notice should be reasonable and should range between 4 to 7 days,” Swanya added.
Additionally, Gachagua’s team plans to push for the recusal of National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula and Deputy Speaker Gladys Boss from the proceedings, alleging bias.
“For the sake of justice, I think the two principal officers should recuse themselves as this debate approaches,” Swanya emphasized.
As public debate continues over whether Gachagua should resign for self-preservation, his legal team insists he is determined to confront his accusers.
Article 75 (3) of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, stipulates that any state officer removed from office cannot hold any other state office again.
