As the National Assembly prepares to debate the motion to impeach Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, the DP has enlisted around 20 lawyers to defend him against the 11 charges in the motion.
The legal team, led by Senior Counsel Paul Muite, includes some of the most prominent legal minds who were involved in high-profile cases, including the presidential election petitions for former President Uhuru Kenyatta and the 2022 presidential election petitions. Gachagua is expected to appear before the House on Tuesday at 5 p.m. to respond to the charges leveled against him.
Among the lawyers in the team are Victor Swanya, George Wandati, Faith Waigwa, Elisha Ongoya, Ndengwa Njiru, George Sakimpa, Murigi Kamande, Willis Otieno, Amos Kisilu, Tom Macharia, and Julia Omwamba. Swanya, who was part of the legal team that filed a case to stop the impeachment motion, confirmed that the team comprises 20 legal professionals and assured that they are ready to fight the motion to the end.
“We have reviewed the accusations against the deputy president and we are prepared to deal with it,” Swanya said in an interview.
Muite, a renowned lawyer with 51 years of experience in the legal field, previously represented Uhuru Kenyatta in both the 2013 and 2017 presidential election petitions. He was also involved in the 2022 elections, where he represented the four Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners who rejected the results, which saw President William Ruto and Gachagua assume office.
Lawyer Ongoya, who has defended politicians against impeachment charges before, represented Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza in two of her three impeachment motions at the Senate. He was also one of the lawyers involved in the legal battle that led to the rejection of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) by the Supreme Court.
Lawyer Tom Macharia, with over 25 years of experience, was recognized by Chambers & Partners in 2021 as one of Kenya’s leading dispute resolution lawyers following interviews with clients and peers.
