Nakuru Town West MP Samuel Arama has dismissed concerns raised by some participants during the ongoing public participation on the impeachment of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. Speaking on October 5, 2024, Arama emphasized that the focus of the nation at present should be the impeachment motion against Gachagua, downplaying other issues raised by the public, such as the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) launch, the new university funding model, and the controversial Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) takeover by Adani Group.
Arama urged residents to take the opportunity to express their views on the impeachment motion and the 11 grounds presented in the National Assembly, asserting that the current priority is the process to remove the Deputy President from office. He also clarified that Members of Parliament only facilitate the public participation exercise and encouraged people to either support or oppose the impeachment, leaving other issues for future discussions.
“Most people don’t understand what we are trying to do. The priority now is the impeachment of the Deputy President; that is a priority for the time being. Other priorities will come when we do other things,” Arama stated, adding that the other concerns raised do not hold weight in the current context.
Nakuru Town West MP Samuel Arama has condemned the chaos caused by non-residents during the public participation exercise on the impeachment of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. Arama emphasized that disrupting the process would not help Gachagua and urged participants to peacefully fill out forms to either support or oppose the impeachment. He reassured the residents that the exercise would proceed without further disturbances.
The public participation exercise, now in its second day, follows a High Court order extending the process to ensure that citizens across all 290 constituencies have sufficient time to submit their views. National Assembly Clerk Samuel Njoroge, in a notice issued on October 5, 2024, confirmed the extension and outlined that public hearings would continue at constituency offices and County Women Representatives’ offices between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Looking ahead, October 8, 2024, will be a critical day for Deputy President Gachagua, as Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse, the mover of the impeachment motion, will present his case with documents, witnesses, and video clips. Gachagua will then have two hours to defend himself before the National Assembly votes on the motion. If the motion passes, Gachagua’s case will move to the Senate for a final decision on his impeachment.
