Kenya’s Senate began debating the impeachment of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Wednesday after the politician lost another court bid to halt the proceedings.
Last week, the National Assembly, Kenya’s lower house of parliament, voted decisively to impeach Gachagua on 11 charges, including corruption and abuse of office. The 59-year-old deputy president, who denies all allegations, will remain in his position until the Senate concludes whether to confirm his removal.
Although the Senate initially convened last week, the debate on the impeachment motion formally began on Wednesday behind closed doors. A decision is expected to be announced on Thursday.
If the Senate approves the motion, Gachagua would become the first deputy president to be impeached since Kenya’s 2010 constitution introduced the process.
Gachagua, a prominent businessman from the Kikuyu tribe, Kenya’s largest, survived earlier corruption controversies to become deputy leader when President William Ruto chose him as his running mate in the closely contested August 2022 election.
However, Gachagua has recently claimed that President Ruto is sidelining him and has faced accusations of supporting youth-led anti-government protests that erupted in June. The protests, which were sparked by unpopular tax increases, have heightened political tensions and exposed divisions within Kenya’s leadership.
Among the impeachment charges, Gachagua is accused of threatening a judge. He had hoped the judiciary would intervene, but his legal team’s attempt to block the proceedings was unsuccessful. On Tuesday, a Kenyan High Court declined to suspend the Senate session scheduled for Wednesday. A second ruling on Wednesday also allowed the debate to proceed.
President Ruto has not publicly commented on the impeachment, but Gachagua admitted that the process could not move forward without the president’s consent.