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The National Assembly has urged members of the public to continue with the public participation exercise on Saturday, October 5, 2024, after a court in Kerugoya ruled that the exercise be conducted in more areas.

Initially, the clerk of the National Assembly had published 47 areas in the 47 counties where the exercise was to take place on Friday, October 4, 2024.

However, a petition by Kirinyaga Women Representative Njeri Maina noted that members of the public had been denied sufficient time and convenience to take part in public participation.

Maina argued that the public participation exercise was published on October 2, 2024, and conducted on October 4, 2024, meaning there was insufficient time for all Kenyans to be made aware of the exercise within the time frame.

Public disenfranchisement

She also stated that some of the venues were far away from huge populations of Kenyans, and that would disenfranchise them from taking part in a process that could determine the leadership of the nation.

“The Parliament shall organise similar public hearings closer to the citizens, at least at the constituency level in each constituency in Kenya, to enable the constituents of Members of Parliament responsible for the impeachment process nationally to engage level can participate and offer their representations,” Kerugoya Law Courts Judge Richard Mwongo ruled on October 3, 2024.

The sentiments were echoed by Kiambu County Senator Karungo Thang’wa, who wrote to the Speaker of the Senate Amason Jeffa Kingi urging that public participation be done in all 290 constituencies.

In the letter, Thang’wa also urged that the impeachment hearings slated for Tuesday, October 8, 2024, be conducted at a public place like the Kasarani Stadium and beamed live on screens to far-flung areas for the purposes of transparency.

Parliament responds

In response to the suggestions and the court order, Parliament ordered another round of public participation to be conducted on all 47 venues previously advised.

Additionally, the National Assembly also observed that public participation would be conducted at the headquarters of all 290 constituencies as well as the offices of all 47 women representatives in the counties.

At the offices, members of the public will be required to fill out forms in support of or against the impeachment of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on all the 11 charges levelled against him.

The views will be collated and reviewed in time for the planned discussion of the motion on Tuesday.

“You have one more day to submit your views on the special motion for the proposed removal from office by impeachment of Deputy President H.E. Rigathi Gachagua.

“The public participation exercise, which commenced today, Friday, October 4, 2024, has been extended by one day. The collection of public views on the motion will continue until Saturday, October 5, 2024. The exercise, facilitated by the National Assembly, will take place from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.,” a statement on the National Assembly’s handle on X read.