Impeached Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
When Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse tabled a motion for the impeachment of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on October 1, most MPs from the Mt Kenya region were among the 291 signatories.
On Tuesday night, during the vote on the motion in the National Assembly, some these MPs chose not to vote for the motion.
While a majority of the pro-impeachment MPs did not budge and went back to Parliament to restate their positions, a few either kept off the precincts of Parliament or backtracked and voted against the motion.
This was after the list of the signatories to the motion was made public.
The circulation of the list whipped up emotion in the Mt Kenya region with voters taking advantage of available platforms to profile the motion’s supporters as the candidates for ouster in the 2027 General Election.
From the initial 291 signatories, the final vote by those supporting Gachagua's ouster came down to 281 members.
Among Gachagua's detractors, none stood out more than Gatundu North MP Elijah Kinyanjui.
Last week, Mr Kinyanjui declared during an interview on Inooro TV that he would vote to impeach Gachagua.
"What ground? I don't follow the ground, I will be voting to send him home," said Mr Kinyanjui, a promise that he kept during the vote in the National Assembly on Tuesday night.
Unlike Mr Kinyanjui, some MPs from Mt Kenya made a last minute change of heart and voted against the motion.
Among them was Tetu MP Geoffrey Wandeto who even wrote a letter to the Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetang'ula seeking to withdraw his signature.
But in opening remarks before the debate on the motion commenced, Mr Wetang’ula rejected Wandeto's request.
“I received a letter from... Wandeto purporting to withdraw his signature. I want to invite the honourable members to read the Standing Orders that are very clear. Once you append your signature to a Special Motion, you have crossed the Rubicon and you cannot withdraw that signature,” he stated.
The Rubicon is a bounding or limiting line; especially one that when crossed commits a person irrevocably.
Mr Wandeto on Wednesday told Nation.Africa that the views of his constituents informed his change of heart.
"Bearing false witness against anyone is morally wrong and I decided to honour what the scriptures recommend if and when in err, and that is repenting," Mr Wandeto said.
Mr Wandeto expressed hope that his signature would not contribute to seeing the DP confirmed as indeed deposed.
Similarly, Kipipiri MP Wanjiku Muhia cited hostility from her constituents for her change of heart after the names of the signatories to the motion were made public.
"The ground has been loud and clear, therefore, it was not tenable to vote in support (of the motion). I opposed (it). This motion was brought under very rough circumstances that gave us little choice in appending signatures," she said.
It was the same case for Embu Woman Rep Njoki Njeru who after signing in support of the motion opposed it on the floor of the House.
"the reason I signed it was to facilitate the Bill to be tabled so that we could debate it... it did not necessarily mean I supported the DP's ouster. After the debate and taking into consideration my voters' stand I had to vote against the motion," she said.
An MP from Meru County who wished not to be named told Nation.Africa that he did not anticipate the name of those who signed in favour of the motion to be made public.
"It was the first time we were participating in such a monumental task... we did not know that the signatures would be made public since they were not votes," he said.
"We also did not anticipate a situation whereby we were to meet with our voters in public participation forums. When it emerged that there would be public participation, tension set in... We are now in another crisis where supporting Gachagua's impeachment by the order of the president has thrown us back into the voters' den in Mt Kenya," he said.
Nyeri woman Rep Ms Rahab Mukami also appended her signature in support of the motion, but kept off Parliament during the debate.
“After a lot of soul-searching and going through the details of the motion, I realised that there were 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 are against the impeachment motion. Kenya being bigger than an individual, I submitted myself to the will of the people,” she said.
Kieni MP Mr Njoroge Wainaina, who initially supported the motion, also didn’t show up in Parliament.
“I want to make a personal commitment that I will go with the decision of the people of Kieni. An MP has never had the final say on matters pertaining to the country... I will not support the vote to impeach the Deputy President,” Mr Wainaina said on October 4, 2024.
On Tuesday, as the motion was being debated in the National Assembly, Wainaina’s family said the MP had been hospitalised.
Having been impeached by Members of Parliament, Mr Gachagua's hopes of salvaging his political career rests with the Senate.
Murang'a Senator Joe Nyutu expressed hope that Mr Gachagua would be exonerated by the Senate, an institution he described as independent, mature and just.
At the same time, Kajiado North MP Onesmus Ngogoyo asked senators, especially those from Mt Kenya region to act judiciously to avoid finding themselves in the long list of politicians who have been earmarked for removal by the voters in 2027.
“Most voters have made an irrevocable decision about President William Ruto's bid for a second term. The same is the case for several MPs… now (we are) waiting to see the daredevils in the Senate,” he said.
Should Mr Gachagua fail to find favour in the Senate, the other remaining avenues for him would be to seek legal redress that could go all the way up to the Supreme Court.
However, Maragua MP Mary wa Maua, key supporter of the DP, said at worst, Mr Gachagua would not be barred from voting, owning a political party and campaigning for candidates of his choice.
“Either way, this war is far from over. Very soon, we will serve our sweet revenge raw and hot,” she said.
