Kenyan deputy president impeached while hospitalised

The Kenyan senate has voted to impeach Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

The lawmakers voted Thursday evening despite a plea from Paul Muite, Gachagua’s lawyer, to postpone the proceedings.

According to Muite, Gachagua was hospitalised after falling very sick hours before the vote was set to hold.

Amason Kingi, the senate speaker, said Gachagua had until 5pm local time to show up.

The lawmakers impeached the vice president after his health kept him away from the hearing.

The 59-year-old becomes the first deputy president to be impeached in Kenya’s history.

At least 53 senators voted to uphold the first charge.

Gachagua, who faced 11 charges, was impeached on five counts.

The charges include ground one of shareholding, ground four of undermining the independence of judges, ground five of the National Cohesion and Integrity Act 4, ground six of crimes under the National Cohesion Act, and ground nine of gross misconduct (public attacks on the national security intelligence service).

In June, Gachagua blamed the head of the intelligence agency for not properly briefing President William Ruto and the government over the magnitude of mass protests against unpopular tax hikes.

The vice president’s action was seen as an act of undermining the president.

In total, 281 MPs voted in favour of the ouster motion against 44. One MP abstained from voting.

“DP Gachagua ceases to hold office,” Kingi said after the vote.

If Gachagua does not petition the vote in court, the impeachment paves the way for the nomination and subsequent replacement by Ruto, who has yet to publicly comment on the development.

The impeached deputy president has repeatedly insisted that the proceedings were a “political witch hunt” and vowed to defend himself.