Kenyan senators don vote to remove Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua from office despite im failure to testify for im impeachment trial afta im lawyer tok say im sick and dey for hospital.
For one of di most dramatic days for Kenya recent political history, Gachagua suppose appear for Senate afta lunch to defend imsef, a day afta im bin plead not guilty to 11 charges.
However, Gachagua, popularly known as Riggy G, bin no show up and im lawyer request a postponement and tok say im client bin dey suffer from chest pains and dey receive treatment from doctors at The Karen Hospital.
Senators bin continue di trial witout am, prompting di defence team to leave di chamber.
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On Thursday evening, di required two-thirds of di 67 senators bin vote to impeach am on charges wey included corruption, inciting ethnic divisions and undermining di goment.
As di trial bin start on Wednesday, di deputy president bin plead not guilty to each of di 11 charges as dem read am out for di house.
Majority of MPs for di National Assembly last week bin vote to approve im impeachment, to set di stage for di Senate trial.
E fall out wit President William Ruto, just two years afta dem elect dem on joint ticket.
Di row bin come to head for June wen Gachagua, for act wey dem see as undermining di president, blame di head of di intelligence agency say dem no properly brief Ruto and di goment over how big di mass protests against unpopular tax hikes dey.
For one big blow to im authority, Oga Ruto just dey forced to withdraw di taxes. E bin sack im cabinet and bring in members of di opposition to im goment.
Mwengi Mutuse, di lawmaker wey bin move di motion, appear for di Senate as witness on Wednesday, accuse Gachagua say e violate constitution while e dey take di house through di various grounds of im motion.
E bin frame di accusations against di deputy president as “extraordinary” wrongdoing wey go merit impeachment. E bin give di example of Gachagua remarks say di goment na like shareholding company, suggest say only dose wey bin vote for di goment go benefit in terms of development and services.
E also accuse di deputy president say e acquire massive wealth through corrupt dealings, among oda accusations.
Corruption wey involve mosquito nets and cows
Gachagua chop accuse say e acquire assets wey worth 5.2bn Kenyan shillings ($40m; £31m) inside di two years since e become deputy president – allegedly acquire through corrupt means.
E bin tok say most of di properties in question na from im late brother estate.
During di trial, one of Gachagua lawyers, Elisha Ongoya, tok say all di allegations against di deputy president na “either false, ridiculous or embarrassing”.
Andrew Mulwa, former chief executive of di Kenya Medical Supplies Agency wey be di second witness, bin face tough questions over im allegations say e dey intimidated by one call from di deputy president to return documents for one cancelled tender for mosquito nets wey di president dey accused say e interfere wit.
“Dis na di first time I receive call from a sitting Deputy President and request for documents wey dey under investigations. Oga Speaker, for my 15 years of public service, I neva dey asked to do dat,” e tok.
Gachagua don deny di allegation and describe am as “ridiculous and baseless”, and im legal team don point out say dis bin come wen di process don already dey completed, and argue say no money dey lost.
One third witness, Abdi Mohamud, di deputy chief executive of di Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, give evidence ova allegations of conflict of interest wey relate to di mata as well as allegations say di deputy president bin receive gifts in form of cows from di public.
Di trial bin dey planned to continue wit di deputy president defending imsef for di rest of di day.
For di conclusion of di process, senators go debate di motion and den take one vote.
Di deputy president na wealthy businessman from di vote-rich central Mount Kenya region.
In just five years, e bin rise from first-time MP to become di number two for Kenya leadership, afta Ruto pick am as im running mate for di August 2022 election.
Im impeachment trial don dominate di discussions of many Kenyans and di media in recent weeks.
Many observers expect im impeachment to go through if di opposition members support di ruling coalition as dem do for di National Assembly.
Gachagua dey expected to challenge di decision if e pass.
Kenya tori pipo don already dey report about im possible replacements, wit four pipo wey dem mention:
- Murang’a County Govnor Irungu Kang’ata
- Kirinyaga County Govnor Anne Waiguru
- Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki
- Foreign Affairs Minister Musalia Mudavadi.
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