Kenya’s Senate on Wednesday opened the impeachment trial of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua after the embattled politician lost yet another court bid to stop the process.In a historic move last week, the lower house of parliament, the National Assembly, voted overwhelmingly to impeach Gachagua on 11 charges including corruption and abuse of office.The 59-year-old has denied all the allegations and will continue to serve in his role until the Senate decides whether to approve his removal.The upper house began meeting last week, but started examining the motion on Wednesday, initially behind closed doors.The debate went on past midnight and a decision was expected late on Thursday.”The fight of his life,” was the front-page headline on Kenya’s leading Daily Nation newspaper.A total of 282 MPs in the 349-member National Assembly on October 9 voted to impeach Gachagua, more than the two-thirds required.The motion accused him of corruption, insubordination, undermining the government and practising ethnically divisive politics, among a host of other charges.Unlike the process in the lower house, where MPs voted on the entire motion, senators will consider each separate charge in what is expected to be a lengthy examination of the accusations facing the deputy president.To impeach Gachagua, two-thirds of the chamber must vote to uphold one of the charges — 45 senators.Gachagua — who was attending Wednesday’s session — or his defence will have an opportunity to cross-examine his accusers as well as present opening and closing statements, according to the Senate’s order of business.If the impeachment is approved, he would become the first deputy president to be removed from office in this way since impeachment was introduced in Kenya’s revised 2010 constitution.He can however fight the impeachment in the courts once the parliamentary process is completed.- ‘Spent cartridge’ -Gachagua, a powerful businessman from Kenya’s biggest tribe, the Kikuyu, weathered previous corruption scandals to become deputy leader as President William Ruto’s running mate in a closely fought election in August 2022.But in recent weeks, he has complained of being sidelined by the president and had been accused of supporting youth-led anti-government protests that broke out in June.Political tensions have been running high since the sometimes deadly demonstrations erupted over unpopular tax hikes, exposing divisions in the top echelons of power.At a media briefing ahead of last week’s vote, Gachagua vehemently denied what he called “nonsensical allegations” and his perception that he was no longer useful to the Ruto administration.”I am now seen as a spent cartridge,” he said, referencing the pair’s election partnership to defeat Uhuru Kenyatta and win Ruto the presidency.”They want to discard me and appoint someone else, disregarding the will of Kenyans,” he thundered. “This is what we call political deceit, conmanship, and betrayal.”- Judicial hopes dashed -Gachagua, who is also accused of threatening a judge, had pinned his hopes on the courts, telling churchgoers on Sunday that he was a “believer in the independence of the judiciary”. He also called for his supporters to remain calm.”Let’s preach and maintain peace irrespective of the outcome. Kenya is our country,” he said.His lawyers have argued that the impeachment process was unfair and fast-tracked. However, on Tuesday, a Kenyan High Court ruled against suspending Wednesday’s Senate session.And in another blow to Gachagua, another ruling by a separate High Court on Wednesday ruled against suspending the entire process, clearing the way for the Senate hearings to proceed.Ruto has not given any public comment on the impeachment, but Gachagua himself has admitted the process could not have gone ahead without the blessing of the president.
