Boss Shollei: Gachagua got right to fair trial in impeachment proceedings
By Ndiritu Wanjiru, June 9, 2026National Assembly Deputy Speaker and Uasin Gishu Woman Representative Gladys Boss Shollei has defended the impeachment process of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, arguing that he was accorded a fair hearing throughout the proceedings.
Speaking during an interview with a local television station on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, Shollei said the courts were satisfied that Gachagua’s constitutional right to a fair trial had been respected, a factor that informed the decision by a three-judge bench of the High Court to uphold his impeachment.
“If you look at the way the court looked at it, the right to a fair trial was largely done well because remember, by the time he appeared before the Senate, he had already submitted all his submissions. All of the documents had been sworn under affidavit, and on top of that, he had even gotten a second chance when he was requested for more information, and he had submitted it,” she said.
According to Shollei, Gachagua had ample opportunity to present his case before the Senate and submit all the necessary evidence in his defence.
Shollei noted that the former Deputy President actively participated in the proceedings and was represented by a team of lawyers who filed extensive documentation on his behalf.
“The court, to a great extent, was satisfied; that is why they upheld the impeachment because submissions had been given in, he had sat before the proceedings for a few days, all his lawyers had submitted their documentation, and he had read all the replying documentation,” she added.
High court ruling on Gachagua’s impeachment
Her remarks came hours after a three-judge bench of the High Court upheld Gachagua’s impeachment, marking a significant legal victory for Parliament and affirming the process undertaken by both the National Assembly and the Senate.
However, the High Court has ordered the Senate of Kenya to pay former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua KSh 50 million in constitutional damages, finding that his right to a fair trial was violated during the impeachment proceedings that removed him from office in October 2024.
The three-judge bench comprising Justice Eric Ogola, Justice Anthony Mrima and Justice Dr Freda Mugambi delivered the order as part of its landmark ruling on Monday, marking the first judgement of its kind under Kenya’s 2010 Constitution.
The court issued a declaratory order finding that Gachagua’s fair trial rights were infringed when the Senate declined to grant an adjournment despite his absence from the proceedings.
The bench held that the award was necessary both as compensation and as a constitutional remedy.
“The court awards constitutional damages of Kenya Shillings 50 million to His Excellency Gachagua payable by the Senate to vindicate the Constitution, restore the dignity of the affected party, and deter future violations,” the bench stated in its ruling.
The judges noted that the compensation was aimed at restoring Gachagua’s dignity and at sending a clear signal to state organs against future breaches of fair trial protections.