Members of Parliament are today (October 1) set to table a motion of impeachment against Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
This comes even as the debate to oust DP Gachagua from office based on several grounds gained momentum in recent days.
National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah last week confirmed that the ouster motion will be tabled today at 2:30 pm.
Speaker Moses Wetangula is expected to notify MPs at the plenary of his receipt of the ouster motion.
DP Gachagua has since suffered a blow after three petitioners seeking to bar Parliament from processing (tabling, debating, considering or acting upon) a possible impeachment motion against him failed in their quest.
The petitioners who tried to secure court orders to stop Parliament from processing the ouster motion were; former UDA Secretary General Cleophas Malala, Sheria Maani and Shadrack Wambui and Caroline Wambui.
Grounds of impeachment
Among the grounds of impeaching DP Gachagua include; violating Article 10 of the Constitution which touch on National Values and Principles of Governance, violating articles 147, 148,174,186 and 189 which speak to his conduct and responsibility as the principal assistant to the President.
Allegations of corruptly and unlawfully acquiring assets using taxpayers’ money have also been flaunted.
Impeachment Process
The process of impeaching the DP begins at the National Assembly where an MP introduces a motion that should have support of at least a third of the members of the House, in this case, the support of 117 MPs.
The MP is then required to state the reason on why the DP should be impeached.
For the motion to pass at the National Assembly, the impeachment motion must be supported by 2/3rd of the House, that is 233 MPs.
After the passage in the National Assembly, the motion makes its way to the Senate to be considered as appropriate, including hearing by the Senate Plenary or Special Committee.
For the impeachment to pass in the senate, 2/3rd of the Senators should be in support.
Reports indicate that by close of business Sunday, September 29, 302 MPs had appended their signatures.
