Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua has rejected the Sh50 million compensation awarded to him by the High Court, describing the payout as insufficient and insisting that his fight is about justice and constitutional accountability rather than money.
Speaking on Tuesday, a day after the High Court upheld his impeachment, Gachagua criticised the ruling, arguing that the court contradicted itself by finding that his right to a fair hearing had been violated while still allowing the impeachment to stand.
“The Sh50 million awarded to me is an insult to my fundamental rights and freedoms and a mockery of the Constitution. We are not interested. Money was not the issue; justice and constitutional supremacy were. I am a leader who cannot be swayed by promises of money to allow violation of the Constitution,” he stated.
The former Deputy President further claimed that he had previously turned down an offer from President William Ruto to resign from office in exchange for financial incentives.
“If I were interested in money, Mr Ruto had offered me Sh2 billion in an effort to entice me to avoid impeachment and opt for resignation. But I stood for my rights and that of over 7 million Kenyans who voted for me. I rejected this offer and faced the National Assembly.”
“No amount of money can stand between me, my rights and Kenyans.”
Gachagua maintained that once the court determined that his constitutional rights had been breached during the impeachment proceedings, the entire process should have been nullified.
- Why the High Court faulted Senate in Gachagua impeachment case
- Parliament lawyers defend legality of Gachagua impeachment
“We strongly observe that the impeachment process was found faulty by the three-judge bench for failure to respect my right to fair hearing. Once that determination was made, the entire process collapsed and was null and void. There was no impeachment. Theirs was a constitutional coup, an abuse of the people of independent Kenya,” he stated.
“The three-judge bench was obligated by operation of the law on the determination of a violation of the Constitution to set aside the impeachment. The decision by the bench to uphold the impeachment is in itself a violation.”
The High Court on Monday upheld Gachagua’s impeachment but ordered the Senate to pay him Sh50 million in constitutional damages after finding that his right to a fair trial had been infringed during the proceedings.
Gachagua said his legal team, led by Senior Counsel Paul Muite, will challenge the decision at the Court of Appeal.
“We shall proceed to file an appeal at the Court of Appeal on the decision and hope that justice shall prevail.”
Email your news TIPS to Editor@nairobilawmonthly.com, and to advertise with us, call +254715061658 anytime of the day
