The National Assembly on Sunday selected a four-member bipartisan committee that includes the vocal Homa Bay Town Member of Parliament Peter Kaluma who will represent it at the Senate during the impeachment hearing of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
The four-member team will help the impeachment motion mover Mwengi Mutuse (Kibwezi West) at the Senate as they will be facing the Senators and Gachagua’s team as the battle to impeach the second in command is expected to take place before the lawmakers.
The other three members include Rarieda Member of Parliament Otiende Amollo, the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee chairperson George Murugara, and Kanduyi Member of Parliament John Makali.
The four were selected in line with the Senate Standing Orders section 73(5), which requires that once an impeachment motion is referred to the Senate, then the select committee or the whole plenary of the house may hear from those who moved such a motion.
‘’The Special Committee of the Senate may hear representation of the member who moved in the National Assembly and other Members of the National Assembly,’’ the Standing Orders read in part.
Murugara and Makali will be representing the House's majority side at the Senate while Otiende and Kaluma will be representing the minority side from the National Assembly.
Gachagua is set to face the Senate on Wednesday and Thursday this week as the House will be acting as a jury following his impeachment by the National Assembly on 11 grounds ranging from gross violation of the Constitution, which includes undermining the President, the Cabinet and the effective discharge of the national government's executive mandate.
He is also accused of undermining devolution and violating Article 160 (1) of the Constitution on the Institutional and Decisional Independence of Judges as well as committing crimes under the National Cohesion and Integration Act, gross economic crimes under the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act, and the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act.
The Senate had given parties affected in the impeachment hearing until Monday 14 to respond and file all the necessary documentation regarding the process.
MPs at the National Assembly voted to impeach the DP, with 282 voting in favor, 44 against, and one abstaining, following a motion tabled by the Kibwezi West MP.
The embattled Deputy President will need to get 23 votes from the Senate lawmakers in order to survive the impeachment motion that was tabled against him.
These developments happen even as Gachagua is likely to proceed to courts to seek alternative justice should the Senate find him guilty of the allegations.
