Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has decided to physically appear before the National Assembly to prosecute his defence over his impeachment motion, as Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah warns him against seeking sympathy from MPs.

During a press briefing held at his official residence in Karen, Nairobi, DP Gachagua assured Kenyans that he will appear for the two(2) hours that will start Tuesday at 5pm.

He said that he was elected by Kenyans jointly with President William Ruto, adding that he was obliged to appear in Parliament and respond to the grounds of his impeachment.

“I have considered that I was elected by the people of Kenya directly on August 9, 2022. Dr Ruto and Mr Gachagua were elected by 7.2 million Kenyans as President and Deputy respectively. Therefore, I think it is only fair that when MPs decide to remove DP from office, the people who elected Rigathi Gachagua as DP hear his side of the story,” Mr Gachagua said on Monday evening.

“I will avail myself in the National Assembly and prosecute my defense for two(2) hours. It is fair that the people who elected me get my response to the very outrageous accusations against their Deputy President,” he added.

He termed the ongoing impeachment process as ‘a political process meant to kick him out of office’, despite working so hard to guarantee the victory of the Kenya Kwanza coalition in the last polls.

“This is a scheme to hound me out of office because of other political considerations and has nothing to do with violation of the Constitution, gross misconduct and committing national and national crime,” Mr Gachagua said.

“Gachagua worked so hard to get President William Ruto to power and thereafter he (Gachagua) is of no use. So, he should be dispensed with and somebody else can be appointed,” he added.

He said that he acquired some of his wealth from his late brother--Ndiritu Gachagua--who was the governor of Nyeri County.

The DP noted that some of the properties listed in the impeachment motion belonged to his late brother, adding that they had been mischievously formed part of the grounds to axe him from his position.

“That is the viciousness, that you are even fighting the dead. How cruel can we be? How insensitive can we be? What is that power thing that you even fight the dead for you to entrench yourself in power and get rid of your perceived political enemy? People might have money, power and everything but must remember that it is very respectful to respect the dead,” Mr Gachagua said.

“I want to ask forgiveness from my late brother Ndiritu Gachagua because your properties that you worked for many years to benefit your wives and children are now a subject of discussion and are alleged to be proceeds of corruption,” he added.

Speaking to NTV shortly after the Gachagua press briefing, National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah argued that the second in command was seeking sympathy from Kenyans.

He said the House will accord him respect when he appears before it. He will appear before Parliament on Wednesday (today) from 5pm to 7pm, a period of two(2) hours.

“Mr Gachagua is playing to the public gallery gimmicks. It is simply sympathy seeking gimmicks. He has refused to address the substantive issues that are on the grounds of the impeachment motion,” Mr Ichung’wah said.

“I want to tell the DP that we (MPs) are not on a sympathy seeking mission. We will accord him the dignity and silence he requires to address the issues leveled against him,” he added.

Mr Gachagua’s impeachment motion was tabled on the floor of the National Assembly on October 1, 2024, by Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse.

A total of 291 out of 345 MPs appended their signatures in support of the motion.