Kenya court refers deputy president's impeachment case to chief justice

Kenya's high court ruled on Friday that a case challenging Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's impeachment should be referred to the Chief Justice.

Kenya's parliament voted on Tuesday to impeach Gachagua on 11 charges including enriching himself and stirring ethnic hatred. The deputy president denied all the allegations and said the case was absurd.

The Senate will debate the charges and vote on whether to dismiss him next week.

Gachagua has said the impeachment motion was based on falsehoods that constituted a "choreographed political lynching", according to the court documents seen by Reuters.

Justice Lawrence Mugambi called on the chief justice to create a panel of three judges to examine Gachagua's petition, citing high public interest in the case.

The deputy president's rift with President William Ruto, whom he backed in a 2022 election, spilt into the open after deadly protests this year against proposed tax increases and the cost of living.

Gachagua outraged many in Ruto's coalition for likening the government to a company and suggesting that those who voted for the coalition had first claim on public-sector jobs and development projects.

The impeachment motion cites the comments, calling them "highly inflammatory."

Ruto has not commented publicly on the impeachment proceedings.

The push to impeach Gachagua has divided Kenyans, with some saying that parliament should focus on the economy instead of politics, and others calling for both Ruto and his deputy to quit.