Kenyan Lawmakers Agree to Impeach Deputy President

(Bloomberg) -- Kenyan lawmakers voted to impeach Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, raising the risk of renewed political instability as the economy struggles to recover from deadly anti-government protests earlier this year.

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Members of the National Assembly voted to remove Gachagua from office for violating the constitution, with those in favor outnumbering dissenters by 281 to 44, and one abstention, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula said in proceedings broadcast on state television on Tuesday. The chamber later revised the number to 282.

The motion was forwarded to the Senate on Wednesday, according to the upper house Speaker Amason Kingi. The Senate will hear the matter from Oct. 16-17, he said.

“This impeachment motion is unique and unprecedented, as it is the first ever to propose the removal from office by impeachment of a deputy president of the Republic of Kenya,” said Kingi. “This moment calls for deep reflection on the critical responsibility of the Senate in investigating such proposal for removal of state officers from office.”

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Gachagua responded to the National Assembly decision by citing biblical verses, and adding: “It is well” in a post on X.

Gachagua has been increasingly marginalized since President William Ruto allies accused him of backing the demonstrations that erupted in June over plans to raise more than $2 billion in new taxes. The protests led to the deaths of more than 60 people and forced Ruto to scrap the revenue plan and find alternative ways to plug the nation’s budget shortfall and unlock further International Monetary Fund disbursements.

Gachagua was accused of pilfering public funds and making inflammatory pronouncements to stir ethnic hatred, according to a petition filed to parliament by a member of the ruling coalition. He has called the process a witch-hunt and denied any wrongdoing.

The bid to remove Gachagua has unnerved investors in Kenya’s dollar bonds, with the yields on loans maturing in 2031 rising about 30 basis points since the motion to impeach him was filed on Oct. 2. The IMF categorizes Kenya at high-risk of debt distress.

The ouster of the deputy president risks fracturing Ruto’s ruling coalition if lawmakers allied to Gachagua form a breakaway group and begin opposing the government’s legislative plans.

“The infighting within the ruling party will raise question marks on the government’s focus on reform efforts going forward,” BancTrust & Co. investment bank said in a research note.

Growth in the East Africa nation slowed to 4.6% in the quarter through June, compared with 5% in the previous three months.

The frontrunner to succeed Gachagua is Interior Secretary Kithure Kindiki, according to a poll published by Nairobi-based TIFA Research on Oct. 7.

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--With assistance from Helen Nyambura.

(Updates with revised votes for motion in second paragraph, date of Senate hearing in third paragraph)

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