Boda boda riders in Embu Town staged demonstrations on Tuesday, June 9, expressing their disapproval of the High Court’s decision to validate former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s impeachment.
The protest was spearheaded by local politician James Ireri, who criticized the three-judge panel for what he described as an inconsistent and unfair judgment regarding the Senate’s treatment of Gachagua’s impeachment case.
The demonstrators contended that the court overlooked its own conclusion that Gachagua’s right to a fair hearing had been compromised during the Senate’s impeachment proceedings.
Addressing the crowd, Ireri emphasized that the judges acknowledged the former deputy president’s constitutional rights had been violated.
“The judgment issued by the High Court yesterday is both deceptive and perplexing,” Ireri stated.
“Although the High Court acknowledged that the former DP’s rights were breached, which should have been grounds to nullify the decision against him, the Senate committed an error that they should acknowledge,” he added.
While speaking to the media at the protest site, the politician revealed intentions to initiate a recall process against Senator Munyi Mundigi for reportedly supporting Gachagua’s impeachment.
“Given that our senators did not fulfill their duties correctly, we, the residents of Embu, will commence proceedings to recall our senator as he voted in favor of Gachagua’s removal from office,” Ireri declared.
On Monday, the High Court sustained the Senate’s resolution to dismiss Gachagua from his position, rejecting multiple consolidated appeals that questioned the impeachment process.
During a ruling on Monday, June 8, a judicial trio of Justices Eric Ogolla, Anthony Mrima and Fridah Mugambi affirmed that both the National Assembly and the Senate adhered to legal protocols throughout the impeachment process.
The tribunal concluded that the National Assembly followed constitutional mandates, including public involvement, and that the impeachment satisfied the necessary legal standards as outlined in the Constitution.
Nevertheless, the magistrates also recognized procedural deficiencies in the Senate trial that hindered Gachagua from properly defending his position.
According to the verdict, the infringement was substantial enough to justify financial compensation but not adequate enough to invalidate the impeachment result, with the court ordering the Senate to compensate Gachagua with Ksh50 million.