MPs want to impeach Gachagua because he didn’t give them money - Senator Maanzo

Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo has dismissed the ongoing bid to impeach Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua as “a big joke,” likening it to mob justice over what he claims is the DP's failure to dish out handouts to Members of Parliament.

In a Thursday interview on Citizen TV’s Day Break program, the senator alleged the MPs backing Gachagua’s impeachment expected him to give them money from his confidential expenditure allocation.

“There is nobody in Kenya not guilty of tribalism. What is happening is mob justice against Gachagua. If the issue is his wealth, he should be allowed to declare and explain his wealth,” Maanzo said.

“The MPs expected Gachagua to call them every Friday to give them something from the confidential budget. This is what the accusations are about.”

Gachagua is accused of, among other things, making inciteful remarks, undermining the President and the Cabinet, amassing properties worth Ksh.5.2 billion illegally and interfering with the leadership of the Nairobi County government.

The DP is also faulted for attacking High Court Judge Esther Maina, bullying and gross misconduct.

Some 291 of the 345 MPs have appended their signatures in support of the motion.

Maanzo on Thursday said Kenyans should in turn vote out MPs behind Gachagua’s woes in the next election.

“The House is just wasting our time. Parliament is lynching Gachagua and Kenyans should now lynch Parliament and deal with every single MP in the next election,” he said.

Ahead of debating the special motion to oust Gachagua, the National Assembly has suspended its Thursday sitting for arrangements to facilitate public participation in the impeachment process.

The debate is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, October 8 and will continue until the motion's consideration is completed later that afternoon.

Senator Maanzo previously warned if Gachagua’s impeachment bid sails, there will also be a similar motion to oust President William Ruto.

He has since filed a censure motion against Ruto for what he terms questionable conduct while in office: he accuses him of breaching the Constitution, marginalising a section of Kenyans and heightening tensions in the country by failing to ensure there is proper public participation in the implementation of his plans.

Should Gachagua’s motion sail through, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula will communicate the resolution within two days to Senate Speaker Amason Kingi for action.

Kingi will then convene the House and deliberate on the matter within seven days and if 45 senators out of 67 endorse the grounds, Gachagua ceases holding office as Kenya's deputy president.