Gachagua’s impeachment: Public Participation commences nationwide

The nationwide public participation process giving Kenyans the opportunity to voice their opinions on the special motion to remove Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua from office officially began on Friday.

The public participation exercise will be held in all 47 counties, despite a court order instructing the National Assembly to carry it out at the Sub-County level.

The court ruled that the current public participation at the county level was insufficient and ordered an expanded exercise to ensure all Kenyans have the opportunity to express their opinions on the special motion.

The Bomas of Kenya will serve as the collection center for public opinions from all constituencies in Nairobi.

Gachagua’s attempt to stop the public participation forums was unsuccessful. He argued that the forums should be held in all 290 constituencies, in the diaspora and the 1,450 electoral wards where presidential elections take place. He argued that conducting the public participation exercise in just one day is inadequate to allow for meaningful public involvement.

Nyeri residents took to the streets to protest against the motion for Gachagua’s impeachment. Protesters blocked major roads and lit bonfires as they chanted “No Rigathi, No Ruto”.

Gachagua is facing 11 impeachment grounds including dividing Kenyans along ethnic lines, inciteful utterances, contradicting the president on critical matters, violating his oath of office and public attacks on judges.

Additional grounds include allegedly amassing questionable Sh5.2 billion wealth through corruption, bullying KEMSA officials and inciting the public against directives from the Nairobi County government.

Gachagua claimed that the impeachment motion was based on false claims that amounted to a politically orchestrated attempt aimed at undermining the sovereign will of the Kenyan people.

Moreover, Members of Parliament from the Mt. Kenya region, who had initially backed the motion to impeach Gachagua, have now shifted their position and stated that they will not continue with efforts to oust the Deputy President.

The MPs’ reversal comes just one day after their names were mentioned in Parliament, where they were among those who signed and endorsed the motion to impeach Gachagua. Tetu MP Geoffrey Wandeto stated that he changed his mind after his electorates urged him to.

Security has been heightened across the country as public participation gets underway.