GACHAGUA REJECTS KSH 50M COURT AWARD, VOWS APPEAL OVER ALLEGED CONSTITUTIONAL VIOLATIONS IN IMPEACHMENT CASE

Former Deputy President and Democracy for the Citizens Party leader Rigathi Gachagua has rejected the KSh 50 million compensation awarded to him by the High Court, describing it as an insult to his constitutional rights and freedoms.

The High Court, in a ruling delivered on June 8, upheld Gachagua’s impeachment but ordered the Senate to pay him KSh 50 million in constitutional damages after finding that his right to a fair hearing had been violated during the impeachment process.

Speaking during a press conference on June 9, Gachagua said his pursuit of legal action was driven by the need for justice and constitutional supremacy, not financial compensation.

He stated that the KSh 50 million award was a mockery of the Constitution and insisted that no amount of money could persuade him to abandon the fight for his rights and those of the millions of Kenyans who voted for him.

Gachagua further alleged that President William Ruto had previously offered him KSh 2 billion to resign from office instead of facing impeachment. According to Gachagua, he rejected the offer and chose to face the impeachment process in the National Assembly.

He maintained that if money had been his priority, he would have accepted the alleged offer, adding that no amount of money could come between him, his constitutional rights, and the people of Kenya.

The former Deputy President also questioned the decision of the three-judge bench to uphold his impeachment after determining that his right to a fair hearing had been violated.

According to Gachagua, once the court established that his constitutional rights had been breached, the entire impeachment process should have been declared null and void.

He argued that the finding of a constitutional violation automatically invalidated the impeachment process and described the decision to uphold it as contradictory and unconstitutional.

Gachagua further claimed that the impeachment amounted to what he termed a constitutional coup and an abuse of the will of the Kenyan people.

He revealed that his legal team, led by Senior Counsel Paul Muite, will file an appeal at the Court of Appeal.

The appeal will argue that once the High Court found violations of Articles 25, 47, and 50 of the Constitution, the entire process that led to his removal from office should have been set aside.

Gachagua expressed confidence that the Court of Appeal would deliver justice and uphold constitutional principles.

The appeal now sets the stage for the next phase of a legal battle that could significantly influence Kenya’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 General Election.