Ichung’wah on Gachagua impeachment: Any MP can table motion, DP is not immune
National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah.
What you need to know:
- Ichung’wah faulted Gachagua for seeking public sympathy after failing to champion the Kenya Kwanza agenda.
- He also challenged the DP Gachagua to declare whether or not he is planning to contest the presidency in 2027.
National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah has said any Member of Parliament is free to table an impeachment motion against Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, but which he insisted will be considered on merit.
No member of the Cabinet, Mr Ichung’wah said, is immune to such an ouster plan.
While Mr Ichung’wah insisted that he was not aware of any such motion at the moment, he called out the Deputy President, saying he had planned to use the fear of political instability to threaten MPs not to consider such a motion.
“If any MP brings an impeachment motion against any leader, whether the president, deputy president or any other state officer, we shall give it a consideration based on merit. If they merit, the House will debate and make a decision through voting," Mr Ichung’wah told journalists at Pap Nyadiel in Alego Usonga Siaya County.
“Nobody, not even the president or his deputy should ever imagine they can intimidate MPs from doing their work they ought to do. Impeachment motions are part of our oversight of state officers, and the DP is no exception, so is the president,” Ichung’wah added.
He also castigated Mr Gachagua for seeking public sympathy after failing to champion the Kenya Kwanza agenda.
“It seems it’s only the DP who has been taking about his own impeachment. He seems to be calling for it and I don’t know. Or he might be imagining that if it comes, he can incite one region of our country against the others and against MPs. That is the fear he has been trying to sell. That is why I have been saying, I have put my chest forward so that I defend the rights of all MPs as their leader,” Mr Ichung’wah said.
He also rubbished remarks by the DP that any move to remove him — which he said could only come from the President — has the potential to destabilise the country as baseless and attempts at fear-mongering.
“If you keenly listened to him on Friday, you realised that he passed a veiled threat to the people of Kenya that an impeachment against him will bring political instability in the country. What he actually meant was that he would cause political instability akin to what happened on June 25th, 2024 if he is impeached,” Mr Ichung’wah said referring to the day peaceful youth-led protests turned violent and Parliament was invaded, and a section of it burnt.
Mr Ichung’wah further challenged Mr Gachagua to speak out and indicate whether he is planning to contest the presidency in 2027 or not.
“He has not told us whether he is a candidate, however, there are all indications that he is planning to contest the seat. I have heard him trying to make friendship with the likes of Kalonzo Musyoka and others. He is at liberty. However, we want him to focus on delivering on the manifesto of Kenya Kwanza first,” said Mr Ichung’wah.
