Kenya's Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua speaks during a press conference, ahead of lawmakers' vote over his impeachment motion at his residence in Karen, Nairobi Kenya, October 7, 2024. PHOTO/REUTERS
The final blow to Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua at the Senate was well planned ahead of the Thursday sitting with all possibilities canvassed and worked on before D-day, Sunday Nation has learnt.
With the National Assembly having done its job perfectly after 282 Members of Parliament voted in support of the impeachment motion against Mr Gachagua, pressure was mounting on the Senate to complete the process by Thursday night.
The National Assembly had already indicated on their Thursday Order Paper that a sitting had been scheduled for Friday to consider “special business”. This piled pressure on Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot and Minority Leader Stewart Madzayo to deliver the Senate vote so as to have a new DP by Friday.
The two leaders were tasked with mobilising senators to ensure they got the maximum numbers to send Mr Gachagua home.
The first strategy deployed was to target the 20 nominated senators in the House who were considered low hanging fruits.
It was felt that once the 20 were in, getting another 25 senators from across the political divide was a much easier task.
Political future
Sources with knowledge about the plan, who spoke in confidence, said there were threats to recall the lawmakers and, thereafter, degazzete them.
The Sunday Nation learnt that a nominated senator expressed concern about voting to send the DP home as the move risked undermining her political future.
Sources say the senator, who is eyeing a parliamentary seat in Murang’a County, feared that the growing anti-Ruto sentiments in Mt Kenya region would narrow her chances. Nevertheless, she voted in support of the motion.
Within ODM, the task was to convince Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and his Kisii counterpart Richard Onyonka to come on board.
The two leaders have been critical of the government, and particularly projects such the planned leasing of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to Indian firm, Adani, which has sparked public outcry.
There were fears also that they might oppose the motion and influence other senators to follow suit. And since they are popular figures in the party, their views could not be ignored.
To persuade them to back the motion, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga convened a National Executive Committee meeting in Mombasa last weekend to impress upon his allies to back the motion. In a surprise move, Mr Odinga also supported the government’s public-private partnership with Adani.
Open rebellion
After Kenya Kwanza senators from Mt Kenya showed open rebellion on the motion, the burden lay on ODM lawmakers to ensure it sailed through.
Senators from Mt Kenya; especially Kiambu, Murang’a, Nyandarua, Laikipia, and Kirinyaga opposed the motion because of hostility on the ground.
It is also reported that there were firm orders from powerful quarters to Senate Speaker Amason Kingi to get the job done. The information was relayed by two senior parliamentary leaders who stayed up late in the night to ensure that a gazette notice announcing the removal of Mr Gachagua from office was done and dispatched to State House and the public.
Sunday Nation has also learnt that when the DP was taken ill and failed to testify, a Senate leadership meeting attended by Speaker Kingi, Ledama Ole Kina (Minority Whip), Boni Khalwale (Majority Whip), Stewart Madzayo (Minority Leader) and two leaders from the National Assembly made a decision to reject a bid to adjourn the sitting.
Another strategy was for pro-Gachagua senators; Samson Cherargei, John Methu, Seki ole Lenku, Karungu Thang’wa, and James Murango to contribute to the motion first so as not to cause problems later by complaining that they were locked out.
