Kenya’s Deputy President, Rigathi Gachagua, was unable to attend his impeachment hearing on Thursday because he is seriously ill and in the hospital, according to his lawyer.
Gachagua was set to appear before the Senate to defend himself against 11 charges brought against him, but his lawyer, Paul Muite, told the Senate that Gachagua was too sick to attend.
Last week, the National Assembly voted to impeach Gachagua, who played a key role in helping President William Ruto win the election two years ago. However, he has recently been criticized by Ruto’s allies for being disloyal and making controversial public statements.
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi paused the hearing and gave Gachagua until 5:00 PM local time to show up. Gachagua has previously described the impeachment as a politically driven attack based on lies.
President Ruto, who has had disagreements with Gachagua in recent months, has not yet commented on the situation. Political experts warn that if Gachagua is removed from office, it could lead to public outrage and calls for similar action against the president.
Many people in Kenya believe that the impeachment is politically motivated and is diverting attention from the real issues, like the deadly anti-tax protests that happened in June and July, which highlighted dissatisfaction with the government.
The charges against Gachagua include claims that he incited ethnic tensions and acquired properties worth over $40 million since taking office, even though his net worth before becoming deputy president was only about $6 million. Gachagua’s legal team argued that there is no solid proof to support these allegations.
If two-thirds of the Senate votes in favor of the impeachment, Gachagua could become the first Kenyan president or deputy president to be removed from office under the 2010 constitution.