Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s impeachment process has divided Kenyans over those supporting and opposing the efforts that are currently before the National Assembly.

According to a national survey conducted by Trends and Insights For Africa (TIFA), 41 percent of Kenyans support Mr Gachagua’s removal from office by impeachment while 38 percent oppose it.

The survey, which was released on Monday, shows that 69 percent of Mt Kenya residents oppose the impeachment process while 28 percent of residents drawn from other regions endorse it.

It has been established that 35 percent of Kenyans who support the impeachment attribute Mr Gachagua’s woos to “his perceived discriminatory attitude and speech in favor of his own Mt Kenya community.

Others, 20 percent who also endorse his impeachment, have attributed his tribulations to poor performance and false promises. Seventeen percent of Kenyans support the process but have not given any reason for doing so.

A section of Kenyans who oppose the ouster bid, 36 percent, argue that Mr Gachagua ‘is being attacked unfairly’ while others, 18 percent, think he is being impeached for his best leadership performance and being honest.

15 percent of those opposing also feel that President William Ruto and DP Gachagua should work together and be allowed to finish their current term.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki, according to the survey’s outcome, was preferred by the majority of Kenyans to fill the DP position’s vacancy if Mr Gachagua is axed from office.

Mr Kindiki earned 37 percent, followed by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro at 5pc each.

Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru and her Homa Bay counterpart followed by 3pc and 2pc respectively.

“Note that data collection was completed before the two(2) days of public participation had begun (October 4), the results of which will be known only after the Clerk office of the National Assembly collate all the forms that were filled by those who chose to take advantage of the opportunity to officially express their views,” the survey stated.

The survey was conducted between October 1 and October 4, 2024, with a sample of 1,892 distributed across the counties proportionate to population size.

“As of today, it is clearly too early to predict what the outcome of this impeachment process will be,” the survey outlined.

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.

Speaker Moses Wetang'ula allocated the DP time to appear before the House on Tuesday evening--from 5pm for two(2) hours--to defend himself.