'I'll defend myself in parliament': Kenya's deputy president

By Brian Okoth

Kenya's Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who is facing a possible impeachment, has said he will defend himself before the country's National Assembly on Tuesday.

Gachagua, who addressed the nation from his official residence in the capital Nairobi on Monday, said he will make himself "available to prosecute my defence for two hours."

The National Assembly, made of 349 members, will hear Gachagua's defence and thereafter vote on whether to impeach him, or not.

At least two-thirds of the members — an equivalent of 233 — need to vote in favour of his impeachment, for the decision to be escalated to the Senate.

'Illegal acquisition of wealth'

The 67-member Senate will also hear the charges, and if more than two-thirds — or 45 members — vote to impeach Gachagua, the deputy president will cease to hold office.

Among other reasons, Gachagua is accused of illegally acquiring wealth valued at 5.2 billion Kenyan shillings, or $40.3 million, over the last two years.

Mwengi Mutuse, the mover of the impeachment motion against Gachagua, says in the last two years, the deputy president received a salary of 24 million shillings, or $186,000.

Mutuse added that in the run-up to August 2022 presidential election, Gachagua declared his net worth as 800 million shillings, or $6.8 million.

'Undermining government'

Deputy President Gachagua, 59, is also accused of undermining the government, and also engaging in ethnic politics.

He has been vocal about the interests of the vote-rich Central Kenya community, where he hails from.

He has, consequently, faced the accusation of looking at the welfare of only one part of Kenya, instead of reflecting the principles of his office as a national leader.

Gachagua said on Monday that he expects lawmakers to hear him "in silence" on Tuesday, when he will lodge his defence.

'Shoddy' public participation

The deputy president, who termed the allegations against him "sensational lies", further said his team of lawyers will file a petition in court, challenging the manner in which public participation into his proposed impeachment was conducted last week.

Describing the public participation as "shoddy", Gachagua said the exercise "did not meet constitutional threshold."

The Kenyan deputy president further defended his businesses, including dairy farming and hotels, as legitimate, saying he has proof how he acquired the ventures.

He added that some of his wealth were inherited from his late brother Nderitu Gachagua, who was a businessman and governor of Central Kenya's county of Nyeri.

A section of people expected Gachagua to announce his resignation on Monday, but the deputy president says he is ready to fight, including through the court system, to prove his innocence.