High Court declined to issue interim orders to halt the tabling of an impeachment motion against Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua in Parliament.
Presiding over the matter, High Court Judge Bahati Mwamuye refused to stop the process after Gachagua’s allies, led by former United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Secretary General Cleophas Malala, sought to block the motion. Malala and his team had moved to court seeking to stop the tabling and debate of the impeachment motion, which is scheduled to take place in the National Assembly on Tuesday, October 1, 2024.
In his ruling, Judge Mwamuye acknowledged the urgency of the case but declined to issue interim orders. He instructed the petitioners to serve the National Assembly, Senate, and other interested parties with the court documents by the close of business on Monday, September 30, 2024.
Malala’s legal team sought an order to block the tabling, debating, and acting upon any motion related to Gachagua’s impeachment. They argued that both the National Assembly and Senate were unlawfully constituted, making them ineligible to debate the impeachment motion.
While declining to stop the process, Judge Mwamuye set October 3, 2024, as the deadline for the respondents and interested parties to file their responses. The case is scheduled for mention on October 7, 2024, for further directions.
Meanwhile, a section of lawmakers led by Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa has expressed determination to proceed with the impeachment motion, having already gathered 242 signatures—far surpassing the required 117.
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