Members of Parliament (MPs) are calling for enhanced security after introducing an impeachment motion against Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohamed urged Speaker Moses Wetangula to collaborate with Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to ensure the safety of the 291 MPs who supported the motion.
He expressed concerns that some MPs feared backlash due to the high stakes involved in ousting the Deputy President, comparing it to the impeachment of Donald Trump in the U.S.
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Junet emphasized the need for lawmakers to feel secure in Parliament and their personal lives. He stressed that all 291 MPs who signed the motion should be present during voting.
According to him, the move is a constitutional process, and lawmakers backing it have called for strict legal adherence throughout.
Dadaab MP Farah Maalim supported these concerns, calling for protection extended to President William Ruto. Maalim warned of possible attempts to disrupt the motion, even suggesting that there could be threats to the President’s life, which could trigger a constitutional crisis allowing the Deputy President to assume power.
Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah, who has had conflicts with the Deputy President, also urged security forces to protect MPs within and outside Parliament.
He referenced the chaotic storming of Parliament during past protests as an example of why enhanced security measures are necessary.
On Tuesday, Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse officially tabled the impeachment motion, backed by a 100-page document providing evidence against Gachagua.
Speaker Wetangula confirmed that the motion had gained the support of 291 MPs, far surpassing the required threshold of 117. This marks a critical moment in the country’s political landscape.
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