Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has rejected the Sh50 million compensation granted by the High Court following his impeachment case.
Addressing reporters during a press conference, Gachagua described the amount as a slight to his constitutional rights and freedoms.
He stated that the award failed to capture the seriousness of the infringements he experienced during the impeachment process.
“The Sh50 million given to me is an insult to my fundamental rights and freedoms and a mockery of the Constitution,” Gachagua stated.
The former Deputy President maintained that his legal battle had never been about financial gain but rather the safeguarding of the Constitution and the rule of law.
“Money was never the focus here; justice and constitutional supremacy were,” he emphasized.
Gachagua asserted that monetary compensation could not sway him from what he called violations of constitutional principles.
“I am one Kenyan leader who will not and cannot be influenced by financial offers to permit violation of the Constitution. I stand as a matter of principle to protect constitutional rights and to defend the Constitution,” he declared.
“This is an oath that I swore and Kenyans recognize me for that. No offer, no sum of money can separate me, my rights and the rights of Kenyan citizens under the Constitution.”
His comments came after a three-judge panel of the High Court granted him Sh50 million in damages after determining that his constitutional right to a fair hearing had been breached during the Senate proceedings that led to his impeachment.
The panel, consisting of Justices Eric Ogola, Freda Mugambi and Anthony Mrima, ruled that the Senate made an error when it refused to pause proceedings despite Gachagua’s request for more time due to medical reasons.
According to the judges, the refusal deprived him of a reasonable chance to fully engage in the proceedings and constituted a violation of his right to a fair hearing as protected by the Constitution.
However, while acknowledging that Gachagua’s rights had been infringed, the court upheld the impeachment itself, concluding that Parliament had acted within its constitutional authority in removing him from office.
The judges determined that the National Assembly had conducted sufficient public participation and that the impeachment process largely adhered to constitutional and legal requirements.
Consequently, the court declined to reverse the Senate’s decision, meaning Gachagua remains impeached despite the award of damages.
The ruling delivered a partial outcome for the former Deputy President.
On one side, it validated his argument that certain aspects of the impeachment proceedings infringed upon his constitutional rights.
On the other side, it confirmed Parliament’s decision to remove him from office, ending efforts to reverse the impeachment through judicial means.