Kenya: Onyonka Assures Senate to Focus On Evidence Presented Against Gachagua

15 October 2024

Nairobi — Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka has assured Kenyans that the Senate will focus on evidence tabled against Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua Impeachment motion during it's special sittings scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday.

Onyonka asserted that the Senate will look at evidence regarding each accusation laid against Gachagua and not hearsay.

"At the Senate, we will look at each accusation laid. If you say the Deputy President has participated in disinheriting his brother's children, give us the evidence and not hearsay," he said.

The senator promised that he will only take part in discussing the Gachagua ouster motion based on facts backed up with evidence.

He stated that no decision will be agreed upon by the House without considering solid evidence regarding charges facing the embattled Deputy President.

"If you say he is tribal when he gave names of members from his community, chances are those facts do exist, but isn't that what the president has done when he appointed Principal Secretaries from his region who are over 100?" he questioned.

The legislator who termed Gachagua Impeachment battle as a consequence of dysfunctional regime stated that both him and President William Ruto should iron out their differences.

Onyonka said some of the allegations facing Gachagua including tribalism don't hold solid grounds for his removal.

He argued out that the Deputy President is part of the Kenya Kwanza government which embraces ethnic politics.

"When we in the Senate are looking at this impeachment we don't see Gachagua as a failure, a tribalist, we see him as a consequence of this system which has become so dysfunctional that all we do when we seek power is to take state resources and share them between our friends, relatives and tribes," he said.

Senator Onyonka added " The Deputh President is an accident out of us getting rid of Meritocracy that we now reward Cronyism!"

The Chief Justice Martha Koome constituted a three-judge bench on Monday to hear and determine Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's petition challenging his impeachment.

In her directive, Justice Koome assigned Justice Eric Ogola to preside over the case, with Justices Antony Mrima and Dr. Freda Mugambi as part of the panel.

The judges are expected to hear Gachagua's petition alongside five other petitions that have been filed challenging the impeachment process as the DP is set to face the Senate on Wednesday and Thursday, to defend himself against all the 11 charges levelled against him

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