Gachagua alleges bribery and threats in impeachment fight
Politics
By
Nancy Gitonga
| Oct 13, 2024
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has unveiled explosive claims of bribery and intimidation in a fresh lawsuit filed in court as he fights to block his impeachment by the Senate.
In a comprehensive 57-page petition lodged in the High Court, Gachagua paints a troubling picture of a political system rife with corruption, coercion, and manipulation.
His document lays bare a series of allegations that not only seek to challenge his impeachment but also expose the underlying dynamics of power in Kenyan politics.
READ MORE
World Boxing and IBA fete Kenyan referees as Mwaura promoted
India-Africa ties must move towards investment-driven growth, capacity building
Fresh protests erupt in Moyale, Sololo and Marsabit as border dispute tensions escalate
Two men, same name, same land: 30yr court battle heads for supreme court
Gachagua has disregarded useful lessons we have learnt over the years
From aid to enterprise: Refugee businesses expand East Africa's economy
Why Kenya's 2013 Sports Act must die and be reborn
Why UN chief Antonio Guterres is in Nairobi
Th3 Swish edge out Eldonets as heavy rains disrupt basketball action
Suluhu's threat of violence to the youth takes East Africa backward
At the heart of his petition are accusations of bribery and manipulation within the National Assembly during his impeachment process.
Gachagua's legal team, led by Senior Counsel Paul Muite, reveals that a Member of Parliament from the Rift Valley coordinated a scheme to bribe colleagues into voting for his impeachment on Tuesday night.
While Gachagua did not name the MP or disclose how much each received, he insists that many lawmakers were intimidated into compliance, creating an atmosphere of fear within Parliament.
He says that if monetary inducements did not work, those who did not toe the line were threatened
"Many other members of Parliament who have expressed solidarity with Gachagua have informed him that they were threatened and intimidated to vote for the motion, feeling helpless to resist under the circumstances. Others were reportedly offered financial inducements coordinated by a Member of Parliament from the North Rift," Muite says in the court papers.
The petition also reveals that, as part of the fear and intimidation campaign, several staff members in the Office of the Deputy President were arrested and are only enjoying their freedom due to a court order secured just before the filing of the impeachment motion by Makueni MP Mwengi Mutuse.
Intimidation campaign
The Deputy President says that during the impeachment proceedings at the National Assembly, the vast majority of Members of Parliament appeared to be rallying around a different agenda than the one officially presented by Mutuse
"It seems that many MPs were not genuinely contributing to the motion on the table; instead, they appeared to be advancing a separate, politically motivated agenda," Gachagua states
"The impeachment exercise was designed to please the President rather than examine constitutional violations," Gachagua asserts.
Further, Gachagua contends that the public participation data purportedly gathered by the National Assembly to support his impeachment was doctored.
He claims that the statistics were manipulated to create the illusion of overwhelming support among Kenyans for his removal, which he argues is a direct violation of the principles of transparency and fairness. "The process should reflect the voice of the people, not a fabricated narrative," Gachagua states, indicating that certain constituencies reported figures that defy logical scrutiny.
Among his specific allegations, the DP points to a particularly dubious claim from the Keiyo South constituency, where he asserts that the reported data support for his impeachment exceeded the possible threshold.