Kenyans will have a rare opportunity on Friday to weigh in on the future of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. This follows a notice of motion for his impeachment, which was tabled on Tuesday by Kibwezi West MP Mutuse Mwengi. A total of 291 MPs have signed in support of the motion.
In a ruling, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula announced that public participation will be conducted nationwide. The process will take place across the 290 constituencies, coordinated from 47 designated locations in each county. According to a notice issued by National Assembly Clerk Samuel Njoroge, the public hearings will run from 8 am to 5 pm and will be led by officers from Parliament’s secretariat.
In calling for these public hearings, Wetang’ula emphasized the importance of engaging the public, citing previous court rulings to avoid a situation where a decision made may later create issues for the House, as seen in past impeachment proceedings involving governors and their deputies.
“It would be absurd for any person to imagine that a motion such as the one presently before the House may be concluded without participation of the public,” Wetang’ula stated. “I am indeed persuaded that public participation is an integral element of the process of removal of an elected state officer from office.”
Attendees will be able to provide their views to the designated teams at each collection center, and these views will be recorded for a report to be tabled in Parliament. Officials presiding over the event will explain the impeachment process, outlining the charges and grounds for removal before allowing time for public opinions.
For those unable to attend in person, there is an option to fill out special forms developed by the National Assembly. These forms, available online in both English and Kiswahili, include each of the 11 charges against Gachagua. Respondents will need to provide their names, gender, constituency, county, and identification number (ID), as well as indicate their support or opposition to the motion, along with any reasons.
The filled forms can be submitted at the specified collection centers or sent to the Clerk of the National Assembly via postal mail, hand delivery to the main Parliament Buildings in Nairobi, or emailed to im*********@***********go.ke. All submissions must be received by Saturday, October 5, 2024, at 5 pm.
