Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has faced another blow after the High Court declined to grant interim orders to stop the public participation exercise scheduled for Friday concerning his impeachment motion in the National Assembly.
In a move that preceded the nationwide exercise, Mukurweini MP John Kaguchia held a smaller-scale version of the public participation in his constituency. Kaguchia is among the MPs who did not sign the impeachment motion.
“Mtoto akifanya makosa, anapigwa kama anarudishwa kwa nyumba. Huchapi mtoto ukimfukuza,” said Kaguchia, implying that punishment should be corrective, not dismissive.
A local resident added, “Kama makanga ni mbaya, basi dereva ni mbaya. Tulichagua Ruto juu ya Gachagua, na kama Gachagua ni mbaya, basi wote ni wabaya,” suggesting that both the Deputy President and President William Ruto should be judged together.
Meanwhile, Kirinyaga Woman Representative Jane Njeri refused to comply with a summons from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) over claims she planned to hire goons to disrupt the public participation event in Kerugoya. She dismissed the allegations as politically motivated, stating, “Madai hayo hayana msingi na ni ya kisiasa.”
Njeri, a vocal supporter of the Deputy President, argued that she and other allies of Gachagua were being targeted for refusing to toe the line on legislative matters. “KRA officers have backdated file returns; they have sent auditors to our offices,” she added.
Despite Gachagua’s efforts to stop the public participation process, the High Court ruled against his plea. The court scheduled a hearing for October 9, 2024. The application, filed by Fredrick Kiberi, sought to halt the process, arguing that public participation should occur at the ward level across the country’s 1,450 wards, instead of at the constituency level.
