On Saturday night, October 12, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua appeared in public for the first time since the National Assembly impeached him.
Gachagua was seen at The Hub Mall in Karen in widely shared images and videos, where he was seen interacting with Kenyans and looking happy.
The public freely interacted with the deputy president and his wife, Pastor Dorcas Rigathi, even posing for selfies with them.
According to the videos, Kenyans were seen scrambling for a chance to take selfies with the DP.
This casual public engagement comes ahead of DP Gachagua’s upcoming appearance before the Senate next week, where he will defend himself against impeachment charges stemming from allegations of corruption, undermining governmental authority and divisive politics.
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DP Rigathi Gachagua impeachment
The motion for his impeachment was brought forward by Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse, who accused the Deputy President of multiple violations of the Constitution and other laws governing public office conduct.
Mutuse outlined the grounds for impeachment, including accusations that Gachagua had violated various constitutional articles.
He claimed that the Deputy President had persistently made statements threatening to discriminate against sections of the Kenyan population in terms of public appointments and resource allocation.
Additionally, Gachagua was accused of undermining the presidency and the Cabinet by making unilateral public statements that contradicted government policies and the President’s role as a symbol of national unity.
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Further charges included undermining devolution, with accusations that Gachagua interfered with Nairobi County’s operations, inciting citizens against lawful directives, and publicly criticising county leadership.
The motion also alleged that Gachagua had violated the independence of the judiciary by publicly attacking a High Court judge and threatening to file a petition for their removal. The Deputy President was accused of breaching his oath of office and making inflammatory public statements that endangered national unity.
Mutuse further claimed that Gachagua had engaged in gross economic crimes, including conflict of interest, abuse of office, and amassing wealth incompatible with his legitimate income, allegedly acquiring property worth Sh5.2 billion.
“It is important for this House to note that in the morning, I did present evidence of suspicious money transactions,” Mutuse said.
