Suna East MP Junet Mohamed has alleged that money changed hands in Parliament during the 2024 impeachment of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
Speaking at a political gathering in Malava, Kakamega County, on Sunday, Mr Junet said some lawmakers received money during the process. He also claimed that Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot acted as the “accounting officer” for the alleged payments.
“Wakati tulikuwa tunafukuza Gachagua kazi, kuna kitu ilitembea hapo. Huko Bunge,” Mr Junet said, referring to the period when lawmakers were pursuing Mr Gachagua’s removal.
He then named Mr Cheruiyot, saying he was the person who handled the alleged funds.
Mr Junet did not provide evidence to substantiate the allegation, nor did he explain how much money was supposedly distributed or who financed it. Current reporting also found no official investigation that has established that lawmakers were bribed to support the impeachment.
Mr Junet went further, telling those who allegedly benefited from the process to put the money to use by investing in their homes.
“Kama umepata kitu kwa impeachment ya Gachagua, tafadhali jenga boma mzuri,” he said.
He also appeared to take aim at an unnamed politician whom he accused of spending the alleged proceeds on women in Nairobi rather than investing in his home. He did not identify the politician.
The remarks have revived a politically charged debate over the circumstances surrounding Mr Gachagua’s removal from office in October 2024.
Mr Gachagua became the first Kenyan deputy president to be removed through the constitutional impeachment process. The National Assembly approved the motion before the Senate later upheld the charges against him.
At the time, Mr Gachagua denied the accusations contained in the impeachment motion and described the process as politically motivated. The High Court has since upheld the constitutional validity of his impeachment, while awarding him KSh50 million after finding that the Senate violated his right to a fair hearing.
Mr Cheruiyot had not publicly responded to Mr Junet’s latest allegations by the time of publication. The Parliamentary Service Commission had also not issued a response.
Mr Junet’s comments came amid a busy political weekend in western Kenya, where leaders aligned with different camps were positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 elections.
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