I Have Added My Signature- Ichung'wah Confirms Motion To Impeach Gachagua

The Kikuyu Member of Parliament (MP) confirmed that he had included his signature in solidarity with lawmakers adding their voice to Kenya's first motion of this kind.

Marvin Chege Marvin Chege
Sep 29, 2024 - 17:27 Updated: Sep 29, 2024 - 18:01
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I Have Added My Signature- Ichung'wah Confirms Motion To Impeach Gachagua
Side by side image of Kimani Ichung'wah and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. /KIMANI ICHUNG'WAH.DPPS

National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah has confirmed that a motion is in place to impeach Rigathi Gachagua as Deputy President.

Ichung'wah spoke on Sunday, September 29 at Victor Assembly church in Kikuyu, Kiambu County where he joined congregants for a solemn worship service.

The Kikuyu Member of Parliament (MP) confirmed that he had included his signature in solidarity with lawmakers adding their voice to Kenya's first motion of this kind.

According to him, it did not make sense for divisive politics to continue rocking the country, hence the need to oust the Deputy President by way of impeachment.

A bird's eye view of Parliament as of June 6, 2024. /PARLIAMENT OF KENYA

"It is true that there is an impeachment motion against the Deputy President and as Member of Parliament of Kikuyu I have already upended a signature to it and I will support that impeachment motion to stop a process where the government is being undermined and sabotaged from within the government," he revealed.

"It is not tenable and feasible that for another three years, it will be politics of the mountain, the lakeside, the oceanside. Let us participate in politics of continuity that will enable us to carry out the plans we had revealed to you."

Ichung'wah also accused some factions of attempting to divide the Kikuyu community ahead of the 2027 General Election by encouraging them to abandon the Kenya Kwanza alliance and form new political coalitions with figures such as Kalonzo Musyoka, George Wajackoyah, and Eugene Wamalwa.

He dismissed such strategies, stating, "They want us to abandon what we built so that others can benefit."

Legislators are expected to table the impeachment motion on Tuesday, October 1 with reports indicating that the signature collection was nearing the required threshold by Friday evening. 

The motion, which requires 117 signatures to be introduced in the House, must also gain the support of 233 MPs before being transmitted to the Senate.

By Friday, close to 300 signatures had been collected, according to National Assembly Deputy Majority Leader Owen Baya, with Majority Whip Sylvanus Osoro adding, "There is a stampede; members are moving to sign the motion."

Regional caucuses have reportedly held secret night meetings to gather support, with leaders from Rift Valley, Mt. Kenya, Western, and Coast regions actively pushing for a unified stance ahead of the motion’s tabling.

Weighing in on the matter, National Assembly Speaker, Moses Wetangula called on Kenyans to embrace diversity, stating that anyone who supports tribalism or seeks to incite chaos in the country should be stopped. "We must know that our diversity is the source of our strength and that is how we shall live," he stated.

However, he did not expressly state whether he was in support of Gachagua's impeachment motion, as per earlier media reports. His remarks did follow several MPs accompanying him who expressed their readiness to impeach Gachagua.

DP Rigathi Gachagua during an interview with Citizen TV on September 20, 2024. /SAM GITUKU

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