Rival factions are wrangling over the numbers at play in the planned impeachment of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
By Thursday evening, the pro-impeachment group claimed over 300 members of the National Assembly had backed the introduction in the House of the motion to send DP Gachagua packing.
Others in the camp said they had secured at least 240 signatures from 349 members of the National Assembly, highlighting the battle for numbers by the rival factions.
But Nation.Africa could not independently verify these claimed numbers as no documentary evidence was provided.
Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa admitted that he is the sponsor of the motion for the removal from office of the DP by impeachment.
“I am the sponsor of the impeachment motion against the Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and so far I have received 242 signatures and an additional six MPs were awaiting to append their signatures,” said Mr Barasa.
The Kimilili MP, citing gross violation of the constitution and gross misconduct as reasons for removal of the DP by impeachment, noted that he intends to present the signatures to the House Speaker Moses Wetang’ula for approval.
“It’s upon the Speaker to consider the motion, notify the plenary of the House of its receipt and then through the House Business Committee that he chairs, allot it space for debate after which I will do what I do best by prosecuting the motion on the floor of the house,” said Mr Barasa.
But the DP’s backers countered the most those lobbying for the impeachment can secure during the crucial vote in the House are only about 180 MPs, which is below the requisite 233 needed to propel the motion to the senate.
The pro-impeachment group claimed the motion had received bipartisan support to secure its introduction in the National Assembly, the first stage in a rigorous impeachment process.
The legislators, led by those from the Kenya Kwanza alliance allied to President William Ruto and opposition Leader Raila Odinga are reported to have backed the draft impeachment motion, surpassing the one third threshold of 117 members required for the tabling of such a motion.
“We have more than 300 signatures. The procedure now is to file the finalized motion with the speaker for approval and its tabling in the Assembly next week. Most likely next week Tuesday,” disclosed a Kenya Kwanza MP handling the signature collection.
This is even as DP Gachagua’s allies indicated that they are already mobilising to fight the ouster bid both in the House and outside.
Embakasi North MP James Gakuya, a close ally of Mr Gachagua, disclosed plans by Mr Gachagua’s camp to exploit every available mechanism, including courts to fight the ouster bid.
He dared those pushing for the impeachment to table the motion instead of engaging in unending political rhetoric.
“Let them table the motion so that we can deal with it on the floor of Parliament. They cannot keep talking about impeachment for weeks. Let them table the motion if they have the numbers as they claim. I want to tell them that we are also mobilizing,” said Mr Gakuya.
“They should also know that justice can also be found elsewhere, not just in Parliament. When the motion comes, we will fight it both in Parliament and outside. As we fight in Parliament, other people will go to court,” said Mr Gakuya.
He claimed of a plot by the government to use money to influence the outcome of the process even as he said that “resignation would be the last option for Gachagua.”
Embakasi Central MP Benjamin Gathiru Mejjadonk, another close ally of Mr Gachagua, had earlier told Nation that they have done an analysis on how the MPs are likely to vote. In their calculation, the MP said only about 180 MPs would support the motion at the voting stage.
“They can’t get two-thirds (233 MPs). We talk, and some of those MPs who are on their side will not vote. They will not be available in Parliament for the final vote. You can rent a Kikuyu, but you can’t buy them,” said Mr Gathiru.
“The highest number they can get is 180 MPs. We have done our math and we dare them to bring it on,” he said. Mr Gachagua’s camp is said to be actively poisoning the ground for MPs perceived to be critical to him as part of his strategy to counter the ouster plan.
The collection of signatures, according to lawmakers was spearheaded by leader of Majority Kimani Ichung’wah and his Minority counterpart Junet Mohamed and will be submitted to Speaker Wetang’ula on Friday for consideration and approval.
“The signatures are overwhelming. Tribalism has no place in modern Kenya!” stated Saboti MP Caleb Amisi on his X, formerly Twitter.
Turkana North MP Paul Nabuin has also backed the motion, saying Mr Gachagua doesn’t fit to be the DP of the country.
“We were not happy as leaders of the ASALs areas when the DP was pushing for one shilling, one man, one vote. That was a killer strategy. It is a killer for the ASALs areas.
“For us in the opposition, if motion shown himself as a tribalist. He talks about Mount Kenya he forgets he is a DP for the whole country. He allowed himself into a community politics. He made it in jest but he coming to bite him. He should forget what Orengo said in the Senate, government eats their own, the DP is being eaten by its own.”
Sources in parliament told the Nation that MPs from the ODM side were reluctant to sign the impeachment arguing that their numbers should not be misused for the impeachment process.
The Orange Party, according to the MP who signed the impeachment motion on Thursday, ODM also gave a condition that the lawmakers from Mt Kenya must also sign first before they could append their signatures.
In addition, the ODM lawmakers also insisted that the motion must be sponsored by a member from the Kenya Kwanza side and not from the minority side.
According to the MP, ODM lawmakers told those pushing the removal of Mr Gachagua that it is not the right time for such discussion just days after the Gen protests that rocked the country leading to the rejection of the Finance Bill, 2024.
“We felt that we are not doing the right thing especially after the Gen Z protests but the leaders are so deep into it and we said let them then take the lead on the matter,” the third term MP said.
The MP said the calculations on the numbers have been done and there is confidence that the 233 needed to send the DP home will be realised.
The calculations have been done in such a manner that even if all the Wiper MPs vote against the motion, they will not deny the government side the majority the requisite number to send the DP home.
Another MP from Rift Valley told the Nation that ODM has been reluctant to sign the impeachment motion forcing an intervention from former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
“ODM has been reluctant, Baba (Raila) called some while in the US,” said the MP who also chairs a powerful committee.
“Gachagua impeached himself, he is the one driving himself to the impeachment house,” the MP said.
Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera (ODM) questioned why he should take part in the impeachment process and how it will help Kenya.
“Why should I participate in impeaching Gachagua, how will Lugari constituency gain,” questioned Mr Nabwera, asking, "Is Gachagua the route of all the problems affecting the country?”
But even as the impeachment motion gathers storm, politicians perceived to be close to the Deputy President - Senators Karungo Wa Thang’wa (Kiambu) and John Methu (Nyandarua), former Laikipia Woman Representative Catherine Waruguru and nominated MP Triza Wanjiru - warned that “a vote against Rigathi Gachagua is a vote against the Kikuyu community.”
“A vote against Rigathi is effectively a vote against the Kikuyu community. This could undermine the trust established between the Kalenjin and Kikuyu communities during the 2022 elections. My advice is to approach this situation thoughtfully otherwise, things may never return to how they once were,” claimed Senator Thang’wa.
According to the Kiambu Senator, “its concerning that those around the president are the ones issuing threats to the deputy president, suggesting either a lack of respect for the president or that they are conveying his message.”
“I urge the president to rise above these distractions and call for a truce. If he can engage with Raila and even the Ford Foundation president, whom he publicly accused of financing instability, then why not sit down with Rigathi, who overcame significant challenges to secure votes for him?” the Kiambu Senator appealed.
Senator Methu noted that there are many issues affecting Kenyans and that impeaching the DP is not the answer to the issues.
“At the backdrop of a heap of launched projects in the Republic, an impeachment wouldn't be a priority. The timing is wrong and the intent is ill informed. When Kenya Kwanza wanted a mover to hoist their flag in Mt Kenya, they reached out to Rigathi Gachagua. Nothing has changed,” said Senator Methu.
“For the record DP cannot be impeached unless William Ruto is behind it. There is a lot of propaganda going on in the Kenya Kwanza Government. Lots of mistrust, misinformation and backstabbing,” Ms Wanjiru, the nominated MP, said.
She added that Mt Kenya MPs pushing for Rigathi ouster “are cowards and already know their fate is sealed by the voter.”
“They are selling their souls to the highest bidder,” she said.
According to a number of legislators who spoke to Nation. Africa, the charges preferred against the DP in the draft motion include gross violation of the constitution and related laws, and gross misconduct among others.
He is accused of breach of secrecy act, threatening the National interest by attacking the Director General National Intelligence Service (NIS) Noordin Haji for the lapse in intelligence collection during anti-government protests by Gen Z over the Finance Bill, 2024.
Failing to support the Finance Bill - a collective responsibility - as he claimed he was listening to the ground, his shareholding remarks, excluding other Kenyans and rallying for more resources to the mountain.
He is also accused of involving himself in the affairs of Nairobi City County when he claimed he was a guarantor of Governor Johnston Sakaja in quelling the standoff over the relocation of Wakulima market and threatening the country’s stability by inciting his support against MPs over the impeachment process among others.
Reporting by David Mwere, Samuel Owino and Moses Nyamori
