Kenya’s senate has begun hearing an impeachment petition against the country’s deputy president, Rigathi Gachagua. He has pleaded not guilty to all 11 charges, including corruption, engaging in ethnically divisive politics, and inciting anti-government unrest, during the proceedings on Wednesday.
The two-day trial comes a week after the majority of lawmakers in the East African nation’s parliament approved an indictment motion filed by President William Ruto’s allies. On Tuesday, Kenya’s High Court rejected an application from Gachagua’s lawyers to bar the senate, which will make the final decision on the vice president’s dismissal, from debating the petition. If the motion passes, he will become the country’s first deputy president to be impeached since the revised 2010 constitution.
Gachagua – from the Mount Kenya region, the African nation’s largest voting bloc – helped Ruto win the 2022 presidential election as a running mate. However, both men have recently fallen out with each other. Ruto, who had previously vowed to avoid conflicts with his deputy following strained relationships while serving as former president Uhuru Kenyatta’s deputy, has yet to comment on Gachagua’s removal case.
The country’s government has been in disarray since June, when deadly protests erupted over a cost-of-living crisis and a now-retracted finance bill aimed at raising $2.7 billion in taxes. Gachagua has been accused of supporting the anti-tax rallies that forced Ruto to fire most members of his government and form a new one incorporating opposition politicians.
The deputy leader has described the allegations, including claims that he illegally accumulated wealth of 5.2 billion shillings ($40 million) in two years while earning a $93,000 annual salary, as “extremely outrageous.” During Wednesday’s trial, one of his lawyers, Elisha Ongoya, referred to the charges as false, ridiculous, and embarrassing.
Gachagua will be impeached if the motion is approved by at least two-thirds of the senate’s 67 members. He is expected to defend himself at Thursday’s hearing, during which his legal team will cross-examine witnesses.