Lawmakers acknowledge that supporting the impeachment of Rigathi Gachagua could have severe repercussions in the upcoming 2027 elections, with some calling for unity and dialogue instead of division.
The impeachment motion against Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is shaping up to be another Finance Bill 2024 moment in the Mt Kenya region as leaders face strong opposition from those opposed to the impeachment.
Before and during the June 2024 nationwide protests by young Kenyans, mostly Gen Zs, politicians were warned not to vote for the unpopular tax increases. The situation was so bad that many of the MPs who voted for the discredited bill found it difficult to hold meetings in their constituencies. The bill was eventually withdrawn by the president.
"In Mt Kenya, this Gachagua impeachment motion is similar to the process of the 2024 Finance Bill, where at the end of the day, the vote in the National Assembly was largely about the will of the people versus the will of the legislators," said Murang'a Senator Joe Nyutu, a close ally of the Deputy President.
Mr Nyutu told Nation.Africa on Thursday October 3 that the most important aspect will be what "the ground says" apart from the position of MPs and senators.
Mr Mutuse presented 291 signatures in support of the motion, but after the names of the supporters of the impeachment plot were made public, some began to backtrack.
Kipipiri Member of Parliament Wanjiku Muhia on Thursday had a Damascus Moment citing hostility on the ground after her signature in support was made public.
"The ground has been loud and clear, therefore, allow me to categorically state that the people of Kipipiri and I will not be party to the impeachment of the Deputy president...Kipipiri will vote in opposition to the impeachment motion," she said.
It was the same with Embu woman Rep Njoki Njeru who on Wednesday, October 2, said, "My purpose to sign was to facilitate the Bill to be tabled so that we could debate it...but beyond that it does not necessarily mean I support the DP's ouster, rather I will go by my people's wish".
This came as some of the MPs supporting the motion locked comments' section on their social media accounts owing to cyberbullying.
One such politician is Murang'a Woman Representative Betty Maina, who said she had blocked comments on her Facebook page because of the toxicity of her fans.
"We must do our oversight duty regardless of toxic reactions that are not based on factual reasoning but sponsored harassment," she said.
An MP from Meru County who wished not to be named told Nation.Africa that he did not anticipate the signatures to be made public.
"It was the first time we were involved in such a monumental task. We did not know that the signatures would be made public because they were not votes," he said.
He added: "We also did not anticipate a situation where we would have to meet our constituents in public participation forums, but when it was announced that we would be meeting them, tensions arose."
He said it looked as if things had returned to the "emotive moment of the 2024 Finance Bill, when MPs were torn between collective party responsibility and obeying the President's order".
Kandara MP Chege Njuguna said on Tuesday, October 1, that the impeachment will have an impact on the 2027 election in the Mt Kenya region depending on how it is handled.
"Whoever is against it could have guaranteed support on the ground compared to those who vote for it," he said.
Maragua MP Mary wa Maua said supporting the motion, which is widely supported, could be a political disaster as "all politics is local".
During the public participation window, some MPs from Gachagua's Nyeri County showed signs of abandoning their earlier support for impeachment.
While it was Mukurwe-ini MP John Kaguchia who had not signed in support, now Tetu MP Geoffrey Wandeto, Kieni's Njoroge Wainaina and Woman Representative Rahab Mukami backtracked on their earlier decision.
They said they had come to the decision to defend DP Gachagua against the impeachment motion after extensive consultation with their constituents.
Recently, Mr Gachagua had given Mt Kenya MPs opposed to him until December 2024 to listen to the people he claimed were under his control or face being thrown out in 2027.
Kiambu Senator Karungo Thang'wa, a staunch supporter of the Deputy President, said the impeachment motion was turning out to be a hot potato for his supporters "and the public participation drive will be about confirming whose political life is to be squeezed dead and whose survives".
Nominated MP Teresiah Mwangi told Nation.Africa that "it does not matter how it ends - whether Gachagua is impeached or not. The fact remains that the ground has refused to move away from Gachagua and to tinker with that position is to invite trouble in 2027".
Ms Mukami called on President Ruto and his deputy Gachagua to seek a solution to the crisis outside the impeachment motion.
"After a lot of soul-searching and going through the details of the motion, I have realised that there are no major issues that cannot be healed through dialogue. I have also listened to the ground and the people of Nyeri have emphatically said that they want nothing to do with the impeachment motion. Since Kenya is bigger than any one individual, I bow to the will of the people," she said.
Mr Wandeto said the people of Tetu were against the motion which, if successful and upheld by the courts should Mr Gachagua challenge it there, would see him barred from ever holding public office.
"When I consulted my people about the motion, they said it was not a priority at this time, that I should focus on other important priorities. As a representative of the people, it is imperative that we listen to them and do what they have asked us to do. On Tuesday I will vote against it," he said.
Mr Wainaina said: "I want to make a personal commitment that I will go along with the decision of the people of Kieni. An MP has never had the final say on matters affecting the country."
In Mukurwe-ini, Mr Kaguchia tapped into public sentiment by conducting a mock public participation exercise in Rugi, Gikondi, Mukurwe-ini West and Mukurwe-ini Central wards on Thursday.
"Even though we have political differences, we must come together and speak with one voice. That is why I decided not to sign the motion. On October 8, I will still vote against the motion," the MP said.
This came as Kirinyaga MP Njeri Maina said on Thursday that state agents had been unleashed to force opponents of the impeachment motion to toe the line.
She claimed there had been earlier attempts by the police to link her to plans to disrupt the public participation forms on Friday and Saturday.
"I won't commit political suicide to help another politician survive his miscalculations. I am with Gachagua to the bitter or sweet end on this motion," she said.
Kajiado North MP Onesmus Ngogoyo said on Thursday that if not handled carefully, the situation could pit MPs against the electorate, just like the 2024 Finance Bill.
