Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is facing an unprecedented impeachment vote in the Senate, scheduled for Thursday, following his recent impeachment by the National Assembly.
The upper house will decide whether to remove him from office after a trial that began Wednesday. Gachagua faces 11 charges, including corruption, insubordination, undermining the government, and promoting ethnically divisive politics.
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The impeachment process started after the 59-year-old deputy president failed to stop the trial through several court appeals. Although he denies all accusations and no criminal charges have been filed against him, Gachagua risks being automatically removed from office if the Senate supports the impeachment.
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This would mark the first time a deputy president is ousted under Kenya's 2010 constitution.
If impeached, Gachagua can still challenge the decision in court. Potential successors being discussed in local media include Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki, Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi, and Governor Anne Waiguru.
The Senate vote will be closely watched, especially as opposition lawmakers are likely to side with the ruling party, as seen in the National Assembly's vote. 282 MPs in the 349-member lower house voted overwhelmingly in favor of his impeachment, far exceeding the required two-thirds majority.
Gachagua, a businessman from the Kikuyu community, had previously survived corruption scandals before becoming President William Ruto's deputy in the tightly contested 2022 election. He has recently expressed frustration over being sidelined by Ruto and accused of supporting youth-led anti-government protests sparked by controversial tax hikes.
Despite the high political tensions, Gachagua has urged his supporters to remain peaceful, insisting the impeachment process is driven by "political deceit and betrayal."
