The National Assembly on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, was forced to adjourn its morning session due to lack of quorum.
This comes just a day after over 300 Members of Parliament (MPs) attended the debate and voting on the special motion that sought to remove Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua from office by impeachment.
During the Tuesday evening session, 281 MPs voted to impeach DP Gachagua, with 44 others voting in his favour while one chose to abstain.
However, the lawmakers were nowhere to be seen during the Wednesday morning session.
National Assembly Deputy Speaker Gladys Boss Shollei directed the Sergeant-at-Arms to ring the quorum bell for ten minutes.
National Assembly quorum
Due to a lack of quorum, the National Assembly stood adjourned until 2:30 pm.
Article 121(1) of the Constitution provides that the quorum for the National Assembly shall be 50 members, or fifteen members, in the case of the Senate.
The National Assembly will resume its business in the afternoon, after meeting the quorum.
Gachagua impeachment
The Clerk of the National Assembly Samuel Njoroge has since submitted the House Resolution on a special motion on the removal from office by the impeachment of DP Rigathi Gachagua.
The motion that was moved by Kibwezi West lawmaker Mwengi Mutuse got support from 281 members while 44 opposed it.
๐๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ค ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ก๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ญ, ๐.๐. ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ข ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ญ๐
— National Assembly KE (@NAssemblyKE) October 9, 2024
The Clerk of the National Assemblyโฆ pic.twitter.com/LueojQUgFE
Gachagua impeachment in Senate
The Speaker of the Senate Amason Kingi has since designated this Wednesday’s Senate session to address the charges in the proposed impeachment of Gachagua.
In a gazette notice dated Wednesday, October 9, 2024, Kingi stated that he had appointed the Wednesday, October 9, 2024, senate sitting to hear the charges that have been levelled against Gachagua.
“Pursuant to Article 145 (3) (a) of the Constitution and Standing Order 78 (1) of the Senate Standing Orders, I appoint the sitting of the Senate of Wednesday, 9th October, 2024 at 9.30 am. as the sitting convened for the purpose of hearing the charges in the matter of the proposed removal from office by impeachment of His Excellency Rigathi Gachagua, E.G.H., Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya,โ the gazette notice reads.
The Senate must now conduct the hearing within seven days to either confirm or reject the National Assembly’s decision to impeach Gachagua.
