Kenya’s Senate is set to vote on whether to remove Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua from office at the end of the second day of his impeachment trial.<\/p>\n
The deputy president is on Thursday defending himself before the lawmakers in the upper house of parliament, two-thirds of whom are required to oust him.<\/p>\n
He faces 11 charges, including corruption, inciting ethnic divisions and undermining government.<\/p>\n
As the trial began on Wednesday, the deputy president pleaded not guilty to each of the charges as they were read out in the house.<\/p>\n
An overwhelming majority of MPs in the National Assembly last week voted to approve his impeachment, setting the stage for the Senate trial.<\/p>\n
He has fallen out with President William Ruto, just two years after they were elected on a joint ticket.<\/p>\n
The row began in June when many disgruntled Kenyans took to the streets in deadly protests over unpopular tax hikes.<\/p>\n
Mwengi Mutuse, the lawmaker who had moved the motion, appeared in the Senate as a witness on Wednesday, accusing Gachagua of violating the constitution while taking the house through the various grounds of his motion.<\/p>\n
He framed the accusations against the deputy president as “extraordinary” wrongdoing that would merit impeachment, such as Gachagua’s remarks that the government was like a shareholding company and suggesting that only those who voted for the government would benefit in terms of development and services.<\/p>\n
He also accused the deputy president of acquiring massive wealth through corrupt dealings, among other accusations.<\/p>\n
The lawmaker was then put to task during cross-examination and at some point appeared to have a hard time defending his evidence.<\/p>\n
A clip of the President Ruto speaking at a rally was played in the Senate where he referred to residents of Murang\u2019a, in central Kenya, as \u201cmajor shareholders\u201d of the government.<\/p>\n
Gachagua\u2019s lawyers questioned Mutuse how the deputy president could be faulted for “assisting” the president.<\/p>\n
The lawmaker was also pressed to justify the basis of the valuation of the wealth the deputy president is alleged to have acquired.<\/p>\n
He is accused of acquiring assets worth 5.2bn Kenyan shillings ($40m; \u00a331m) in the two years since he became deputy president – allegedly acquired through corrupt means.<\/p>\n
He has said that most of the properties in question were from his late brother’s estate.<\/p>\n
During the trial, one of Gachagua\u2019s lawyers, Elisha Ongoya, said all of the allegations against the deputy president were “either false, ridiculous or embarrassing”.<\/p>\n
The trial went on throughout the day, ending just before midnight, with one more witness being brought in.<\/p>\n
It continues on Thursday morning, with the deputy president, who is the only witness from his side, defending himself for most of the day.<\/p>\n
At the conclusion of the process in the evening, senators will debate the motion for about two hours and then take a vote.<\/p>\n
The deputy president is a wealthy businessman from the vote-rich central Mount Kenya region.<\/p>\n
In just five years, he rose from being a first-time MP to become the number two in Kenya’s leadership, after Ruto picked him as his running mate in the August 2022 election.<\/p>\n
His impeachment trial has dominated the discussions of many Kenyans and the media in recent weeks.<\/p>\n
Many observers expect his impeachment to go through if the opposition members support the ruling coalition as they did in the National Assembly.<\/p>\n
Gachagua is expected to challenge the decision if it passes.<\/p>\n
Kenyan media have already been reporting about his possible replacements, with the names of two serving governors and two ministers being mentioned.<\/p>\n