Kenya’s deputy president defends himself before impeachment

Kenya’s deputy president, facing an impeachment motion in which he's accused of supporting anti-government protests in June and of being involved in corruption and other irregularities, has defended himself and confirmed that he would appear before parliament on Tuesday.

Rigathi Gachagua, in a televised speech on Monday, accused the legislator who drafted the motion of lying, calling it “shameful and sensational.” This is the first time he's publicly addressing the issues raised by the legislator in detail.

The deputy president is expected to appear before parliament on Tuesday afternoon where he said he would “prosecute my defence for two hours.”

Supporters and opponents of Gachagua clashed Friday at public forums during which public participation forms were filled.

The deputy president defended his wealth acquisition, saying some of the properties listed in the impeachment motion belonged to his late brother. He defended renovation expenditures for his official residence saying it was in a state of disrepair and needed to be “dignified.”

On Sunday during a prayer meeting at his residence, he implored President William Ruto, legislators and Kenyans to forgive him for any wrongdoing during his tenure.

On Monday, he clarified that his apology wasn't an admission of guilt and dispelled rumours that he would resign.

Legislators are expected to debate the motion on Tuesday and later hold a vote before the motion proceeds to the Senate.

A total of 291 legislators, more than the 117 required by the constitution, signed the impeachment motion before it was introduced, but a number of them from the deputy president’s region say they no longer support it after hearing contrary views from their constituents.

Ruto has yet to comment about the impeachment publicly but is on record in the earlier days of his presidency saying he wouldn't publicly humiliate his deputy, alluding to the troubled relationship he had with his predecessor, Uhuru Kenyatta, during their second term in office.