Senator Maanzo claims public participation report on Gachagua impeachment was doctored

Maanzo noted that the report published by the National Assembly does not hold the views of Kenyans and was skewed by individuals to push for Gachagua's ouster.

Speaking to Citizen TV on Monday, he argued that there was no public participation in his county and the numbers were instead skewed by the County Commissioner "with guns".

"I want to give you a case in Makueni. There was no public participation in Kibwezi West. Whatever was done at the County was conducted by the County Commissioner with guns," he claimed.

"He is the one who eventually took control of the venue and was allowing one person to vote and another...all reports that came from Makueni are false reports and subsequently the who report of the House is not the report of the people."

Senator Maanzo further claimed that the legitimate report would have shown a majority of Kenyans opposing the move and criticizing President William Ruto's government.

"The real report will say that 73% of Kenyans are not happy with the way President Ruto is dealing with his affairs and has therefore failed in his job," Maanzo argued.

The legislator believes that Members of Parliament will similarly face the wrath of Kenyans for their push for Gachagua's impeachment and will have a taste of their own medicine. 

"What Members of Parliament are doing to Rigathi Gachagua they will also be done the same. Let them do what they want to do, it will be done to them by Kenyans," he noted.

Speaking in the same interview, National Assembly Deputy Speaker Gladys Shollei argued that the report met the constitutional threshold and anyone who disputes its findings should take the matter to court.

"I think that is an issue that can be debated in a court of law. It is not for the Judiciary, Senate to question the proceedings that happened in Parliament," said Shollei.

The report released on October 8 noted that most Kenyans supported the ouster motion, revealing that 116,269 Kenyans who attended the nationwide public participation supported Gachagua's impeachment while 69,195 voted against it.

There was however a discrepancy in the document as Parliament said that 43 people in Keiyo South took part in the exercise but also indicated that 70 residents voted in support of the impeachment and 1 opposed it.

The mishap cast doubt on the credibility of the numbers even as the House has intimated that it was a clerical error.

The nationwide public participation held on October 4 and 5 saw Kenyans censuring the government for prioritising the impeachment of its own and abandoning the hard-pressing matters affecting Kenyans.

Gachagua was impeached by Parliament and his fate now lies with the Senate as members prepare to prosecute the matter on Wednesday and Thursday.