Wetangula Rejects MP’s Bid to Withdraw Signature from Gachagua Impeachment Motion—Debate Heats Up as DP Remains Degiant!

The Speaker of the National Assembly, Moses Wetangula, on Tuesday morning, threw out Tetu MP Geoffrey Wandeto’s request to withdraw his signature from the impeachment motion against Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. In a firm address to MPs, Wetangula clarified that once a lawmaker signs a special motion, they are bound by that decision, with no provision to backtrack.

“I have received a letter from Honourable Wandeto attempting to withdraw his signature. I want to remind the honourable member to read the standing orders, which are crystal clear. Once you sign a special motion, you’ve crossed the Rubicon, and there’s no turning back,” Wetangula declared.

Meanwhile, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua remains defiant as the National Assembly gears up to debate his impeachment today. The DP, facing a slew of allegations including misuse of state resources, undermining President William Ruto, and shady tender dealings, is standing his ground.

In a fiery two-page defence aired on national television Monday night, Gachagua also took out a full-page ad in The Daily Nation, determined to clear his name. “I have no intention to resign from this job,” he said, vowing to fight the charges. “I will battle to the end.”

The impeachment motion, brought by Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse, claims Gachagua used 22 companies to amass Ksh5.2 billion, including properties like Vipingo Beach Resort Ltd and Olive Gardens. However, the DP maintains these are part of his late brother, former Nyeri Governor Nderitu Gachagua’s estate, not his personal fortune.

Unfazed, Gachagua described the impeachment as a “smear campaign” designed to oust him from office, vowing to defend himself before Parliament. “These claims are baseless. Let the people hear my side,” he stated.

To successfully impeach the DP, two-thirds of both the National Assembly and the Senate must vote in favour. The National Assembly’s crucial vote is set for later today.

Among the allegations is Gachagua’s defiance of Cabinet resolutions, particularly on the contentious Nairobi River evictions. Gachagua clarified his position, stating his objection was over the Ksh10,000 compensation offer to evicted residents, not an act of defiance against President Ruto. “I was upholding human dignity, not undermining the President,” he insisted.

The DP also tackled allegations of involvement in the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) scandal, where he was accused of meddling in shady mosquito net tenders. Gachagua vehemently denied the charges, asserting, “I had no hand in those tenders.”

He further dismissed claims of benefiting from costly renovations to his official residences, stating the works were approved by Parliament and the Auditor-General’s report raised no concerns.

Additionally, Gachagua denied any connection to Lusona Events Ltd, a company alleged to have transferred Ksh100.3 million to him. “I don’t know this company. This is all hearsay,” he claimed.

Gachagua’s defence also highlighted that many of the companies listed in the accusations are non-operational or are charitable foundations. He pointed to the Rigathi Gachagua Foundation and the Dorcas Rigathi Foundation, both established in 2022, as non-profit entities aimed at helping the needy, not making a profit.

The DP’s impeachment is rooted in accusations of embezzling public funds and fuelling ethnic tensions—charges he rubbished as “outrageous” and politically motivated. “This is nothing more than a circus. Parliament is about to turn into the theatre of the absurd,” Gachagua scoffed.