Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has made history as the first Deputy President in Kenya to be impeached.
The 59-year-old politician, popularly known as "Riggy G," was convicted by the Senate, which upheld several charges against him.
Gachagua, who had denied all charges at the start of proceedings on Wednesday, fell ill on the second day of the trial.
Attempts by his lawyers to seek an extension were rejected, leading them to withdraw from the process. Lead Counsel Paul Muite further pointed to Senate standing orders, which require the accused to have the opportunity to be heard unless they choose not to appear. He clarified that Gachagua had not opted to skip the proceedings but was incapacitated by illness, thus urging the Senate to act in fairness.
Despite this plea, the Senate voted to continue with the trial, prompting Muite to announce that Gachagua's legal team would withdraw from the session in the absence of further instructions from their client.
"We have no instructions from our client, and therefore, we cannot participate in these proceedings," Muite stated before leading a walk-out by the defense team.
He faced multiple accusations, including corruption, practicing ethnically divisive politics, and undermining the President. The Senate delivered mixed rulings on the charges:
On the first charge of gross violation of the Constitution, where the Deputy President was accused of persistently making utterances that threatened to discriminate and exclude Kenyans, the Senate upheld the charge, with 53 senators voting in support and 13 voting against.
On the second charge, accusing him of undermining the President and the Cabinet, 28 senators upheld it, while 39 voted against, acquitting him.
On the third charge, related to undermining devolution by interfering with the Nairobi City County Government, 19 senators upheld it, but 45 voted against.
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On the fourth charge, accusing him of undermining judicial independence through public attacks on a judge, 51 senators found him guilty, while 16 opposed.
On the fifth charge of breaching his Oath of Office and Allegiance, 49 senators upheld the charge, with 16 voting against.
On the sixth charge, related to inflammatory public utterances violating the National Cohesion and Integration Act, 48 senators upheld it, while 18 voted against.
On the seventh charge, accusing Gachagua of committing gross economic crimes, including conflict of interest, abuse of office, and amassing property valued at KSh 5.2 billion, he was found not guilty, with 14 senators supporting the charge and 52 voting against it.
On the eighth charge, where Gachagua was accused of misleading the public through false, malicious, divisive, and inciteful remarks, he was found not guilty, with 27 senators upholding the charge while 40 voted against it.
