D-DAY: Kenya VP taken ill as Senate pushes for impeachment

Senators to proceed with DP ouster trial in his absence

Nairobi, Kenya | THE STAR KENYA |  The Senate on Thursday voted to continue with the impeachment trial of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua in his absence.

Senators voted in acclamation to object to a procedural motion to adjourn the sittings to Saturday, October 19, 2024

“As this process is time bound by the constitution, and noting that the period expires on Saturday, the only window open will be to gazette Saturday as the final day for hearing of this matter, ” Kingi directed before the senators took a vote.

“Such a request is made to the Senate, not the speaker. I direct the clerk to circulate a motion of adjournment.”

Kingi had requested the Senate to adjourn the afternoon sitting of Thursday to Saturday, but the senators voted against the proposal.

This is after Gachagua’s lawyer Paul Muite said that the DP will not be able to appear physically because he is suffering intense chest pains.

“I have been able to contact the doctors at Karen Hospital, but because of his condition, I was not able to directly talk to him.” said.

“He is currently suffering intense chest pains.”

Muite further said that the DP has not chosen to appear before the Senate but the circumstances of his health forced him not to physically be there.

He added that the DP should be given a couple of days to appear before the Senate.

Muite pleaded with the Senate Speaker to give Gachagua a chance to be heard before voting.

He asked the Speaker to allow the Senate to adjourn until Tuesday, subject to Gachagua’s recovery, saying Gachagua is willing to stand before the Senate for cross-examination.

National Assembly Senior Counsel James Orengo questioned the honesty of Gachagua’s illness, saying the House should be presented with a doctor’s report.

“Muite has not given us any explanations. For the DP to fail to bring evidence that he is admitted. We are just relying on what Muite is saying. In practice, I can say that there are many times where people have represented me with documents and later on found them to be fake,” he said.

“The DP should have sent one of the doctors here to tell us about his admission and condition because up to 1:15 the DP was here. and he left here and went to his office; there is no evidence that he was evacuated in an ambulance.”

Earlier, the impeachment trial against Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua took an unexpected halt after he failed to show up during the afternoon session.

Gachagua, who was in the House for the impeachment trial, was a no-show during the afternoon session, raising concerns about his whereabouts.

However, his legal team, led by Senior Counsel Paul Muite, said they had received information that the DP has been taken ill and is currently admitted to the hospital.

“The sad reality is that the DP has been taken ill and is currently in hospital. That is the sad reality,” Muite said.

Muite requested the Senate Speaker to provide his legal team time to monitor the progress of the DP.

“I propose that you give me the rest of the day to have an assessment of the DP situation and come back by 5 pm after seeing him and speaking to the doctor,” Muite said.

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SOURCE:  THE STAR KENYA