Senate jockeying to save Gachagua

Intense lobbying is ongoing across the political divide ahead of the commencement of the hearing of the impeachment motion against Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua in the senate on Wednesday and Thursday next week.

Sources have revealed how both sides have been reaching out to individual senators especially those yet to declare the stand to bring them to their side.

The engagements have mainly been on how to attain the required two thirds by one side while the DP’s side is fighting to stop their nemesis from attaining the crucial number of 45 senators.

Speaker Amason Kingi has already gazetted the commencement dates of the hearing as well as the voting date.

Commencement of hearing
“Consequently, pursuant to standing order 78 (9) and Rule 3 of Part 1 of the Second Schedule to the Senate Standing Orders, I appoint Wednesday, October 16, 2024 as the date for the commencement of the hearing. The hearing shall be held in the Senate Chamber, Parliament Buildings, Nairobi and shall commence at 10am on Wednesday, October 16, 2024 and run up to the conclusion of the hearing on Thursday, October 17, 2024,” reads the notice.

Kingi has also directed the parties involved to file their responses with the Office of the Clerk of the Senate by October 14, by 5pm.

Apart from the timeline, Kingi in his communication also gave a number of requirements that ought to be adhered to before debate kicks off on Wednesday.

The timelines include issuance of the Invitations to Gachagua to appear, Parties to file their responses with the Office of the Clerk of the Senate by today to circulate documents received from the Parties, including the Plenary Hearing Programme, to all senators upon receipt by today to allow the senate to commence investigation by Wednesday.

Special committee
The hearing of the motion in plenary comes after Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna declined to second the motion by Majority leader Aaron Cheruiyot to form a special committee to investigate the matter.

“The Motion having been deemed to be withdrawn pursuant to Standing Order 70 (1), the proposal for a Special Committee is defeated. The Senate will therefore proceed with the investigation on the proposed removal from office, by impeachment, of His Excellency, Rigathi Gachagua, EGH, Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya, in Plenary,” Kingi further directed.

Meanwhile Kingi has barred senators from travelling out of the country until the matter is heard and determined until after the motion is dispensed off.

But even as the lobbying is ongoing, Gachagua is depending on a number of senators who have in the past displayed their loyalty to him. He is banking on those from his Mt Kenya backyard and Wiper party colleagues who pledged to support him.

Late August, the embattled DP met eleven senators from Mt Kenya who pledged to support him but some have since remained ambivalent.

The group included Kathuri Murungi (Meru), Joe Nyutu (Murang’a), Mwenda Gataya (Tharaka Nithi), Karungo Thang’wa (Kiambu), Alexander Mundigi (Embu), Methu Muhia (Nyandarua), Kamau Murango (Kirinyaga), Wahome Wamatinga (Nyeri), Tabitha Karanja (Nakuru) and John Kinyua (Laikipia) and Nominated Senator Veronica Maina.

Mundigi, Kathure, Gataya and Wamatinga have since disowned Gachagua and are now backing Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki to replace him.

At the moment out of the 67 senators in the current Senate, 34 are affiliated to President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza (KK) Alliance, 32 are allied to Azimio while Busia senator Okiya Omtatah was elected on the NRA ticket. Jubilee party, on the other hand has five senators.

If combined, the 21 Azimio’s senators (all the senators) together with the 30 from the government side, the total number of senators who are likely to support the motion 51 which is at least six senators more than the required threshold.

Others who are likely not to support the motion are those from Ukambani region including Makueni senator Daniel Maanzo who has filed a censure motion against President Ruto, Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua, Agnes Kavindu (Machakos) and Shakilla Abdalla (Nominated).

Kisii senator Richard Onyonka has been bolder on his stand and in response to inquiries from Kenyans on X, the first-term Senator pledged to thoroughly analyze all charges before casting his vote.

“I hear you. We will listen, study, and scrutinise all the charges laid against the Deputy President. I promise to be impartial and fair. I understand the weight of this issue.”

Omtatah is also on record saying: “DP Gachagua doesn’t need impeachment, he just needs to be censured to focus on his work. However, the timing is suspect, we are the Adani issue and the SHIF roll out, and they are simply trying to divert our attention from the real issue of the day.”