Speaker of the National Assembly, Moses Wetangula has faulted Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua for holding a press conference at his Karen Residence to address his impeachment motion which the parliament is scheduled to vote on today.
During the session, Wetangula said, “I am aware that yesterday the deputy president held an interview with the local media in which he laid out his defense to the special motion before this house. Whereas standing order 85 prohibits members of this house from anticipating debate of a motion for which notice has been given, the standing order when broadly interpreted also extends to non-members especially persons affected by such motions.”
He further said that noting that the motion was scheduled for voting today, Gachagua should have refrained from holding the press interview during which he defended his utterance of government shareholding.
Gachagua explained that he had never mentioned shareholding in terms of development but power sharing in the Kenya Kwanza government among the parties that formed the coalition.
“The honorable Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetangula and the people of Western, please don’t condemn Rigathi Gachagua. The agreement is here defining your share in the government. When I say about this share thing in terms of positions, I have never talked about resources about development. Regions bargained with the President for shares. Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetangula bargained for 30% of shares within the Kenya Kwanza government although they were also supposed to give us 70% of the vote which they did not,” Gachagua said.
Gachagua also denied corruption allegations and fraudulent property acquisition, stating that he would defend himself before the National Assembly.
He specifically denied allegations that several properties mentioned in the impeachment motion were obtained through corrupt means, stating that the majority of the assets belonged to his late brother, James Nderitu Gachagua, who died in 2017 of pancreatic cancer.
“In his will, my late brother bequeathed his properties, assets, and cash. Among them were the Olive Garden Hotel, Vipingo Beach Resort, Queens Gate Apartment, and Langata Highrise Flats,” Gachagua stated. “Mutuse claims I acquired these properties after becoming deputy president in 2022, despite the fact that my brother died in 2017.”
Gachagua explained that his late brother had appointed him, Mwai Mathenge, and lawyer Njoroge as executors of his will.
He also stated that part of the funds in his account came from the sale of the Olive Garden Hotel, as specified in the will.
The motion is currently being debated in parliament and voting scheduled to happen later today.
