Julius Kiprop
Summary:
- Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is set to face impeachment hearings as the Senate begins its proceedings on Wednesday morning.
- The High Court denied Gachagua’s attempt to halt the Senate’s actions, allowing the hearing to proceed.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is approaching a critical moment as the Senate gears up to commence his impeachment hearings on Wednesday morning. This follows a decision by the High Court in Nairobi on Tuesday, which rejected Gachagua’s bid to stop the Senate from moving forward with the proceedings.
The Senate session is set to begin at 9 a.m., where all Senators will convene for a pre-hearing meeting. At 10 a.m., the formal impeachment proceedings will kick off with an introduction to the Senate’s mandate, procedural rules, and hearing schedule. During this time, introductions of National Assembly lawmakers, their legal teams, and the Deputy President with his counsel will also take place.
Representing the National Assembly in this impeachment case is Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Eckomas Mutuse, the motion’s mover, along with Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo, JLAC Chairperson George Murugara, Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma, and Kanduyi MP John Makali.
The Clerk of the Senate, Jeremiah Nyegenye, will then read the charges against Gachagua. At this point, Gachagua will be required to plead guilty or not. Both sides will then present their opening statements, with each being given 30 minutes.
The hearings will proceed with the National Assembly presenting their case first, allotted three hours to lay out their accusations. Gachagua’s defense team will then have two hours for cross-examination.
The impeachment proceedings are expected to adjourn at 7:30 p.m., with the hearings set to continue on Thursday. Simultaneously, a High Court ruling is expected at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, addressing whether the Senate can continue with Gachagua’s impeachment. This ruling comes after an appeal by Gachagua’s legal team to prevent the process from going forward.
