Kenya's Senate has voted to uphold the impeachment of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
Eleven charges were levelled against Gachagua, and the 67-member Kenyan Senate needed to uphold at least one of the grounds, for the impeachment to be confirmed.
Five charges, including gross violation of the Kenyan constitution and gross misconduct, attained the required two-thirds vote (45 "yes" votes) on Thursday, confirming Gachagua's ouster.
Fifty-four (54) Kenyan senators approved the charge that the deputy president had violated the Kenyan constitution.
Gachagua vows court action
At least two-thirds of the 67 senators — that is 45 — needed to vote "yes" on any of the charges for Gachagua's impeachment to stand.
According to Kenya's constitution, a deputy president ceases to hold office upon being impeached by both the National Assembly and the Senate.
Gachagua previously vowed to challenge his removal from office through the court system, saying public participation into his impeachment charges was "poorly and unfairly" conducted.
The deputy president faced 11 charges, including corruption amounting to 5.2 billion Kenyan shillings ($40.3 million) during his first two years in office.
Alleged corruption
Gachagua, who denied the charges, said through his lawyers that the allegations levelled against him did not have any proof.
Kibwezi West Member of Parliament (MP) Mwengi Mutuse, who was the mover of the impeachment motion against Gachagua in the National Assembly, said that 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.
According to Mutuse, Gachagua's wealth grew "suspiciously" over the last two years, suggesting it could have been corruptly obtained.
Wealth 'from brother'
Deputy President Gachagua, 59, was also accused of undermining the government, and also engaging in ethnic politics.
Gachagua rejected the allegations levelled against him, terming them "sensational lies."
The deputy president said his wealth comes from his various businesses, including dairy farming, as well as inherited property from his late wealthy brother, Nderitu Gachagua.
The Senate's action comes slightly over a week after the National Assembly impeached the deputy president over the said-grounds.
Elected jointly with President William Ruto
On October 8, a total of 282 MPs voted in favour of his impeachment, while 44 voted against it, and one member abstained.
Gachagua was elected jointly with President William Ruto in Kenya's August 9, 2022 presidential election.
Until then, he had served as first-time MP for Central Kenya's constituency of Mathira, since 2017.
➤Click here to follow our WhatsApp channel for more stories.
