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| Interior CS Kithure Kindiki President William Ruto |
The Kitui High Court has referred a petition filed by Ikanga Ward MCA Cyrus Musyoka and his nominated counterpart Priscillah Martha Mukami to a three-judge bench led by Justice Eric Ogolla. Interior CS Kithure Kindiki welcomes President William Ruto during the Mashujaa Day event in Kwale. This bench, currently presiding over consolidated impeachment petitions at the Milimani Law Courts, will now consider the case.
Musyoka and Mukami’s petition opposes the nomination of Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki as the next deputy president, as reported by Citizen Digital. This follows a series of legal challenges that emerged after two judges issued conservatory orders halting the Senate’s decision to impeach deputy president Rigathi Gachagua and preventing Kindiki from taking the oath of office. The three-judge bench is set to issue a ruling on the conservatory orders on Thursday afternoon, October 31.
However, during the ongoing hearings, Gachagua’s legal team raised concerns of potential bias, suggesting that the three-judge bench had close ties with some respondents and requested the judges recuse themselves to form a new bench. The request, however, was declined. Days later, Gachagua expressed confidence in the Judiciary’s ability to deliver a fair judgment in the impeachment case, urging his supporters to remain patient. Were senators paid to impeach Rigathi Gachagua?
Kiambu senator Karungo Thang’wa claimed that senators were paid to impeach the embattled deputy president. Karungo revealed that he became aware of the payment when his colleague called him outside the Senate to hand over a bag full of money. The senator confirmed his refusal to accept a bribe in exchange for voting out Gachagua, highlighting his uncertainty about how to handle the money.
by Nancy Odindo