'Leased not bought': Gachagua on Treetops Hotel purchase claims

Speaking to reporters from the Rift Valley region on Monday, Gachagua clarified that his children, Kelvin and Keith, do not do business with the government and have instead taken out a loan to lease the hotel from Kenya Wildlife Services.

“They have leased this hotel from KWS, not purchased it,” Gachagua stated. “People are spreading rumors without knowledge; this hotel belongs to KWS and has been leased.” He emphasized that his family has employed 58 people at the hotel.

Gachagua also suggested that there is a concerted effort to undermine him in light of his impending impeachment on Tuesday.

“These people are desperate to tarnish my name and remove me from office, but they will be shocked when the time comes,” he added.

The Deputy President expressed his readiness to counter the claims, stating he awaits evidence to be presented and is prepared to defend against what he calls trumped-up charges, asserting that his record is clean.

Meanwhile, Gachagua suffered a setback on Monday when four attempts to halt his impeachment failed, with all constitutional divisions declining to intervene.

Former Senator Cleophas Malala's petition to prevent Parliament from proceeding with the impeachment motion was dismissed by the High Court.

Justice Bahati Mwamuye directed the National Assembly to respond by Thursday, October 3, 2024. Malala has until the end of Friday, October 4, to submit his response.

Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah has confirmed that the impeachment motion will be tabled on Tuesday at 2:30 PM.

The motion requires the support of 233 MPs to pass, and reports show that as of Sunday, 302 members of Parliament had already signed on.

Gachagua is facing multiple charges, including violating Article 10, according to his accusers, who claim his public statements were inciteful and capable of instilling ethnic hatred.

He is also accused of violating Articles 147, 148, 174, 186, and 189, which govern his conduct and responsibilities as the President's principal assistant.

He must also defend himself against allegations of illegally acquiring assets with taxpayer funds, which are reportedly located in Nyeri, Nairobi, and Kilifi counties.

If the motion is successful, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula will forward the resolution to Senate Speaker Amason Kingi for further action within two days.