A bid by Kenyan lawmakers to oust Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua moved swiftly to the Senate on Wednesday after he was impeached by the lower house of parliament in an unprecedented political drama that has gripped the nation.
Deputy President of Kenya, Rigathi Gachagua, gestures as he addresses the media during a press conference at his official residence in Nairobi, on October 7, 2024, ahead of the National Assembly vote on his impeachment motion. – The 59-year-old deputy to President William Ruto is accused of corruption, undermining the government and practising ethnically divisive politics, among a host of other charges.
The vote has added to political uncertainty in the East African powerhouse, which was rocked earlier this year by sometimes deadly anti-government protests amid a cost-of-living crisis. Fast-tracking the next stage of the process, the upper house was in session on Wednesday to hear the charges against Gachagua.
“The process we are about to undertake is extremely heavy. The country and the world is watching,” he said, promising “justice”. Gachagua, a powerful businessman from Kenya’s biggest and most powerful tribe, the Kikuyu, weathered previous corruption scandals to become deputy leader as 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 over unpopular tax hikes.
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