Kenya’s Deputy President, Rigathi Gachagua, missed his Senate impeachment hearing on Thursday due to ‘illness’. His lawyer, Paul Muite, told the Senate that Gachagua had been hospitalised and was too sick to attend.
Gachagua faces 11 charges, including corruption and inciting ethnic divisions. Gachagua was also accused of backing youth-led anti-government protests that erupted over controversial tax hikes in June. The Senate had been expecting him to defend himself before a vote, which requires two-thirds of the 67 senators to impeach him.
The trial, which began on Wednesday, saw Gachagua pleading not guilty to all charges. The Senate Speaker, Amason Kingi, said the trial could not extend beyond Friday as it is a time-bound process. Gachagua’s relationship with President William Ruto has deteriorated over the past two years, particularly after the deputy president criticised Kenya’s intelligence services for handling mass protests against tax hikes earlier this year.
If Gachagua is impeached, he will be the first deputy president removed from office under Kenya’s 2010 constitution. Many in Kenya reportedly view the impeachment as politically driven and distracting from more pressing concerns, such as the deadly anti-tax protests in June and July. President Ruto has yet to address the matter publicly.
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