Lawyer Morara Omoke has filed a petition in the Eldoret High Court seeking to prevent Chief Justice Martha Koome from swearing in a new Deputy President if the Senate upholds Rigathi Gachagua's impeachment.
Omoke challenges the impeachment on multiple grounds, including irregular collection of signatures, insufficient public participation, and violations of constitutional provisions. He argues that the process sidelined the Deputy President from key government functions.
Omoke highlights that the impeachment motion, initiated on October 1, 2024, by MP Mutuse Eckomas Mwengi, risks national unity, with parallels drawn to the 2007 post-election violence.
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The petition claims that the impeachment lacked proper public consultation, with allegations of bribery and threats to lawmakers' constituency projects influencing their support for the motion. Forgery is also cited, with claims that several MPs' signatures were either faked or duplicated.
The lawyer emphasizes that Gachagua's impeachment unfairly targets him due to his regional support and his role in agricultural reforms for the coffee, milk, and tea industries.
Omoke also points out the public endorsements for impeachment by key political figures, including National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula, which he claims compromised the neutrality of the process.
Omoke is seeking a conservatory order to prevent any new Deputy President from being sworn in while the case is ongoing.
He has requested that all petitions related to Gachagua's impeachment be consolidated and referred to a bench of at least three judges for a public hearing, stressing the case's significance for national unity and constitutional integrity.