ODM MPs criticize impeached DP Gachagua for 'leading Kenya astray'

ODM lawmakers led by Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma have hit out at impeached Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, saying he is leading the country in the wrong direction, which, according to the lawmakers, may lead to division.

Speaking in Rangwe Constituency during the 10th anniversary of nine Catholic fathers in service, the leaders asked the judiciary to speed up the process of hearing the case filed by Gachagua following his impeachment.

"Kenya is one and everybody has the freedom of residing, working, eating and sleeping anywhere in Kenya they want and we must have respect for the office," Rangwe MP, Lilian Gogo, said.

"We initiated it, and we impeached him (Gachagua), and Speaker Wetangula. I know you tried to pull us back to think through it deeply, and I want to assure you that we thought through it deeply, so let the court move as fast as possible. He has been granted enough time to be before the courts of law," Homabay MP Peter Kaluma added.

On his part, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula asked the church to pray for the country, assuring Kenyans that the president is fully in charge.

"I want to assure Kenyans that our President is in total control; he is holding the country together. That's why we have a broad-based government in place and we ask everybody of goodwill to pray for our country, support our goodwill and country and maintain and sustain peace and development will follow in our country," said Wetangula.  

Gachagua suffered a huge blow on Friday after the High Court declined an application to have a three-judge bench recuse themselves from hearing and determining the cases filed challenging the swearing in of Prof. Kindiki Kithure as the new office holder.

In the ruling read by Justice Eric Ogola, the judges stated that they based their judgment on four grounds; the concept of recusal in line with the Constitution, impartiality as a ground for recusal, whether the applications met the required threshold for bias, and whether the applications were merited.

According to Justice Ogola, the application did not meet the set criteria and was hence disallowed.

"Having rendered ourselves, we wish to restate, given the public interest in this matter and the need for expeditious coping with the urge to balance the interest of both parties, we give further directions on the way forward. The applications for recusal are hereby disallowed," the judge stated.

The judges provided Gachagua's lawyers with an opportunity to file and serve amended petitions within five days. The same was accorded to the respondents. 

The court will now sit on Tuesday, October 29, to deliberate on the applications.