A group of senators has strongly criticized the evidence presented by Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse in support of his impeachment motion against Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, with some calling it a “wild goose chase.” The Senate is set to vote on the motion on Thursday night in an unprecedented move that could make Gachagua the first deputy president in Kenya’s history to be impeached.
The vote will proceed in the absence of Gachagua, who was taken to Karen Hospital with chest pains just before he was due to defend himself. A request by his legal team to adjourn the hearings until Tuesday, allowing time for him to recover and appear in the House, was rejected. This prompted the lawyers and some senators opposed to his ouster to walk out of the chamber.
Mutuse’s motion cites 11 grounds for Gachagua’s removal, which were upheld by the National Assembly on October 8, when 281 MPs voted in favor of the DP’s impeachment, with 44 opposing.
Commenting ahead of the vote, Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei said the evidence presented by Mutuse failed to meet the threshold required to impeach the deputy president. He specifically questioned the claim that Gachagua had amassed wealth amounting to Sh5.2 billion within two years, far exceeding his known income, estimated at about Sh24 million.
“Even on the issue of unexplained wealth, Mr. Speaker, you saw that the mover did not provide a wealth declaration form from the EACC to substantiate the claims of the deputy president’s unexplained wealth. The grounds brought to this House stand on quicksand,” Cherargei remarked. “And if you look at the 11 grounds, the mover was simply on a fishing expedition,” he added.
Cherargei acknowledged that the impeachment could succeed purely as a political process, even in the absence of criminal culpability, but emphasized that senators have the discretion to seek justice. “The decision we make today is not just about the deputy president—it’s about justice for him, justice for the people of Kenya, and justice for every Kenyan who voted for him.”
Nyandarua Senator John Methu, who opposes the impeachment, urged fellow legislators to reject the motion, arguing it lacks solid evidence. “When questions were asked, he [Mutuse] said, ‘I don’t have a problem with company one; I don’t have a problem with company two; maybe I might have a problem in the future, but the deputy president must be removed from office,’” Methu stated.
