Gachagua impeachment: Karua criticises 'lynch mob' in Parliament, calls for fair trial in Senate
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua addresses the media at his official residence in Karen, Nairobi on October 7, 2024.
What you need to know:
- Ms Karua said the behaviour of the MPs and their sudden turnout in large numbers raises eyebrows.
- She said the voice of citizens during the public participation exercise was not reflected in Parliament.
Narc Kenya party leader Martha Karua, has criticised the behaviour of Members of Parliament during the impeachment of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Tuesday.
In a statement, Ms Karua said the sudden large turnout in the National Assembly indicates that the MPs were being used as rubber stamp by the Executive to fulfil its desire.
“It was disheartening to see the National Assembly behave like a rubber stamp. We knew the National Assembly was largely gone but to see such a high threshold of highly educated and well socialised individuals administer what can only be described as mob justice was disturbing,” Ms Karua says.
While acknowledging that the process of impeaching Mr Gachagua is enshrined in the Constitution of Kenya under Articles 145 and 150, Ms Karua said the behaviour of the MPs and their sudden turnout in large numbers raises eyebrows.
She has claimed that the voice of thousands of Kenyans expressed during the public participation exercise was not reflected in the National Assembly, questioning the failure of the system to all irrespective of their circumstances and political persuasion.
Ms Karua further said that while Mr Gachagua is not an angel, like any other citizen, he deserves due process and not mob lynching.
“What we must all be painfully aware of is that participating or acquiescing to the violation of another person’s rights, is laying the foundation of the violation of your own rights. The National Assembly manipulated a constitutional process with impunity,” she said.
Ms Karua has however said the impeachment of Mr Gachagua, the man who demeaned former President Uhuru Kenyatta, should be a reminder to people in authority that power is transient.
As the impeachment process moves to the Senate, Ms Karua has challenged Senators to conduct the process in a way that gives the Senate a sense of purpose.
“Our fate, fellow Kenyans, is in our hands. Pray that the senate proves itself worthy of the status of upper house,” Ms Karua.
The Special Motion to impeach the Deputy President sailed through after receiving a support of 282 votes against 44 votes in the National Assembly.
According to Ms Karua, the National Assembly failed to prioritise the issues that are affecting Kenyans directly, hence failing in its watchdog role. She said the lawmakers have ceased to represent the views and aspirations of the people they represent.
“It is high time to recognise that we are on our own and we must stand united to defend our constitution, and restore good governance and human dignity which the Ruto Regime is destroying,” she said.
Among the issues that Ms Karua said ought to have attracted such energy from the MPs include the controversial Adani-JKIA lease deal, the healthcare fiasco following the rollout of the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), the newly introduced university funding model among other issues.
“It is happening when a plot to extend the term limits of the President and elected officials has been hatched and a Constitutional Amendment Bill already tabled before the Senate,” she said.
Earlier on, Ms Karua had called for the impeachment of both President William Ruto and his deputy for failing to deliver their promises to Kenyans two years in power.
Meanwhile, Senate Speaker Amason Kingi has directed the Clerk to invite Mr Gachagua to appear for his impeachment trial on October 16 and 17.
