Embattled Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has been dealt another blow after Senate Speaker Amason Kingi allowed the House to rely on new evidence tabled against him in his impeachment proceedings.

Gachagua’s team of lawyers had raised objection, seeking to have an affidavit by one Peterson Njomo Muchira, a witness of the National Assembly, expunged from the proceedings.

However, Speaker Kingi ruled that Njomo’s affidavit was admissible.

Speaker Kingi’s ruling on Njomo affidavit

While standing orders dictated that National Assembly would not provide new evidence that is not part of the grounds of impeachment forwarded to the Senate, Speaker Kingi noted that an invitation was extended to both parties to specify any other evidence to be relied on in Gachagua’s impeachment proceedings.

“That is why Rule 6 and 7 of the rules of procedure permits the senate to receive witness statements, list of witnesses to be invited by any and other evidence to buttress an allegation already made,” Kingi ruled. “What is not allowed is to introduce new allegations or to introduce new evidence that is extraneous to the allegations made in an impeachment motion.”

“It is my considered view that the affidavit and the document marked as volume 8A fall within the permissible rules of procedure. I therefore rule that objection is dismissed,” he concluded the matter.