Kenya Senators impeach Deputy President while in Hospital

Kenyan senators have voted to remove Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua from office despite his failure to testify at his impeachment trial after his lawyer said he had been taken to hospital.

In one of the most dramatic days in Kenya’s recent political history, the Deputy President had been due to appear in the Senate after lunch to defend himself, a day after he had pleaded not guilty to 11 charges.

However, he did not show up and his lawyer requested a postponement saying his client was suffering from chest pains and was being treated by doctors at Karen Hospital.

Senators chose to continue the trial without him, prompting the defence team to leave the chamber.

The senators’ refusal to delay proceedings until Saturday – as long as would have been legally allowed – shows their determination to oust the deputy president several months after he fell out with President William Ruto.

Last week, an overwhelming majority of MPs in the National Assembly – the lower house of parliament – voted to impeach him, setting the stage for his two-day trial in the Senate.