Kenya‘s High Court ruled on Friday that a case challenging the impeachment of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua should be referred to the Chief Justice.
The impeachment motion, passed by parliament on Tuesday, accuses Gachagua of 11 charges, including self-enrichment and inciting ethnic hatred. Gachagua has denied all the allegations, calling the case absurd.
The Senate is set to debate and vote on the impeachment charges next week.
In court documents, Gachagua described the impeachment as a “choreographed political lynching” based on falsehoods. Justice Lawrence Mugambi called for a panel of three judges to be appointed by the Chief Justice to review Gachagua’s petition, given the high public interest in the case.
The deputy president’s rift with President William Ruto, whom he supported during the 2022 election, became public after deadly protests erupted earlier this year over proposed tax hikes and rising living costs.
Gachagua sparked outrage within Ruto’s coalition when he likened the government to a company and suggested that those who voted for the coalition deserved priority in public-sector jobs and development projects. These comments are among the reasons cited in the impeachment motion, labeling them “highly inflammatory.”
President Ruto has yet to comment on the impeachment proceedings. The situation has divided public opinion in Kenya, with some calling for a focus on addressing economic challenges, while others demand that both Ruto and Gachagua step down.