A Kenyan court has refused to stop the Senate’s vote on the impeachment of the deputy president

Kenya’s High Court on Tuesday refused to halt the Senate’s vote on the impeachment of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, which is scheduled for this week.

In order to assign a group of justices to reach a final decision, Justice Chacha Mwita forwarded the case to the chief justice.

The Senate will discuss whether to remove Gachagua from office on Wednesday and Thursday after the Kenyan parliament voted last week to impeach him for allegedly inciting ethnic hatred, embezzlement, and undermining the administration.

According to court records reviewed by Reuters, Gachagua has stated that the impeachment motion was founded on lies that amounted to a “political lynching.”

The deputy president helped capture a sizable portion of the votes from the populated central Kenya region and supported President William Ruto in his victory in the 2022 election.

However, he has claimed to be shut out in recent months, and local news outlets have reported that a gap with Ruto is developing as political alliances have changed.

Following widespread demonstrations over tax hikes that resulted in the deaths of over fifty people, Ruto dismissed the majority of his cabinet and appointed opposition members.

Regarding Gachagua’s impeachment procedures, the president has refrained from making any public remarks.