Deputy president Rigathi Gachagua on Tuesday suffered a blow in his ongoing impeachment motion after the High Court declined to issue conservatory orders stopping the Senate from debating the matter. High Court judge Chacha Mwita argued that the request by the DP asking the court to temporarily stop the process in Parliament was premature. In his ruling, Justice Mwita said that Parliament, as a state organ, had the right to hear and determine the impeachment motion and that the DP can only challenge the matter in court once the process is complete. The judge argued that while the court has…
Author: Silas Apollo
Members of the National Assembly have expressed concerns over the preparedness of the education sector to transition from the pioneer Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) class to Grade 9 in January 2025. Speaking during a debate on motion of adjournment, lawmakers argued that the education sector still lacked the necessary facilities to facilitate a smooth transition to CBC. They said that some of the challenges facing the sector included inadequate infrastructure, a shortage of teachers and inconsistencies in curriculum materials. Kathiani MP Robert Mbui, who moved the Motion, emphasized the need for urgent action to address the failures to ensure seamless transition.…
Kericho Governor Erick Mutai has been acquitted of all the charges leveled against him by the Kericho County Assembly after senators voted to terminate the impeachment hearing against the county boss. The senators, in a majority vote done electronically, voted in favour of a motion seeking to terminate the hearing of the impeachment, effectively letting the governor off the hook. Governor Mutai, had earlier in his submissions before the House, denied all the accusations leveled against him by the Kericho MCAs. Appearing before Senators on the first day of the proceedings, Mutai rejected every accusation read to him by Clerk…
Sirisia Member of Parliament John Waluke scored a major win on Friday after the Court of Appeal overturned the 67-year jail term imposed on him over accusations of fraudulently obtaining Sh313 million from a government agency. Waluke who had been sentenced to prison alongside his former business partner Grace Wakhungu, had moved to the upper court to appeal the decision after they were found guilty of fraudulently receiving money from the National Cereals and Produce Board. But the Court of Appeal, in a decision on Friday, disagreed with the sentencing issued by the High Court, arguing that the court failed…
Defaulters of the hustler fund could soon have their M-Pesa accounts raided and their airtime top-ups deducted in an effort by the government to recover the funds. Financial Inclusion Fund acting chief executive officer Elizabeth Nkukuu told MPs that the Fund, commonly known as the Hustler Fund, was exploring several options to recover the funds, including deductions of M-Pesa balances of defaulters. Nkukuu, who appeared before the National Assembly’s Special Funds committee, said that the Fund, which has disbursed over Sh13 billion, currently has a default rate of about 78 percent. As a result, the acting CEO argued, the Fund…
Wajir governor Ahmed Abdullahi has been elected as the new chairperson of the Council of Governors replacing outgoing chairperson and Kirinyaga governor Ann Waiguru. Abdullahi was elected chairman during the CoG ordinary meeting held at the Safari park hotel. He will be deputized by Nyeri governor Mutahi Kahiga who was elected the deputy chairman of CoG. Abdullahi was elected from a list of at least four other candidates who had all expressed their interest in the seat, including Kahiga. Other governors who had submitted their candidature for the position include Tharaka Nithi governor Muthomi Njuki, Joseph Ole Lenku (Kajiado) and…
The National Assembly has extended the ongoing public participation on the impeachment motion of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua to Saturday. This is after the High Court sitting in Kerugoya on Friday ordered the National Assembly to carry out the collection of public views across the 290 constituencies as opposed to counties. In a notice issued on Friday soon after the ruling by Justice Richard Mwongo, Clerk of the National Assembly S. Njoroge said that the ongoing public participation exercise had been extended to Saturday October 5, 2024. “Further to the public participation exercise which commenced on October 2, 2024 and…
The ongoing public participation on the impeachment motion of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has suffered a setback after the High Court ordered a fresh exercise to be carried out across all constituencies. The High Court sitting in Kerugoya on Friday ordered the National Assembly to carry out the collection of public views across the 290 constituencies as opposed to counties. Justice Richard Mwongo made the ruling following a petition filed by Muge Law Advocates on behalf of Kirinyaga Woman Representative Jane Njeri Maina. The matter was certified as urgent. The judge argued that the public hearing scheduled for today (October…
The National Assembly will on Friday begin collecting views from members of the public across all 47 counties on the impeachment motion against Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. The exercise follows a directive issued by the Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetang’ula directing the House to commence the process starting Friday, October 4, 2024. The process is set to give Kenyans an opportunity to make submissions on the special motion sponsored by Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse at designated centers within the constituency. Wetang’ula cited Article 182 of the Constitution which mandates Parliamentary facilitation of citizen engagement in such processes.…
The fate of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua now hangs in the balance after Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetang’ula accepted a motion tabled before the House to impeach the DP. Wetang’ula, in a Tuesday afternoon session of Parliament, said that the motion tabled by Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse met the thresholds for an impeachment motion for the removal of the DP from office. The Speaker further directed Mutuse to move the motion on the floor of the House, as required by the House Standing Orders. “I find that the special motion meets the requirements relating to form and…