Kenya’s deputy president, who is facing an impeachment motion for allegedly backing anti-government rallies in June and being implicated in corruption and other irregularities, has defended himself and stated that he will appear before parliament on Tuesday.
In a televised statement on Monday, Rigathi Gachagua accused the member who draughted the motion of lying, labelling it “shameful and sensational.” This is the first time he has publicly addressed the points presented by the legislator in depth.
The deputy president is scheduled to appear before parliament on Tuesday afternoon, stating that he will “prosecute my defence for two hours.”
Supporters and opponents of Gachagua clashed Friday at public forums during which public participation forms were filled.
The deputy president defended his wealth acquisition, saying some of the properties listed in the impeachment motion belonged to his late brother. He defended renovation expenditures for his official residence saying it was in a state of disrepair and needed to be “dignified.”
On Sunday during a prayer meeting at his residence, he implored President William Ruto, legislators and Kenyans to forgive him for any wrongdoing during his tenure.
On Monday, he clarified that his apology wasn’t an admission of guilt and dispelled rumours that he would resign.
Legislators are expected to debate the motion on Tuesday and later hold a vote before the motion proceeds to the Senate.
A total of 291 legislators, more than the 117 required by the constitution, signed the impeachment motion before it was introduced, but a number of them from the deputy president’s region say they no longer support it after hearing contrary views from their constituents.
Ruto has yet to comment about the impeachment publicly but is on record in the earlier days of his presidency saying he wouldn’t publicly humiliate his deputy, alluding to the troubled relationship he had with his predecessor, Uhuru Kenyatta, during their second term in office.
