Rigathi Gachagua’s impeachment hearing at the High Court in Nairobi was on Tuesday evening treated to humorous moments when Senior Counsel John Khaminwa asked the court to let him leave.
Khaminwa who has been subject of debates over his ability to articulate legal arguments with ease despite his old age, asked the judges presiding over the impeachment case to let him leave the chambers as he was on high demand.
The senior lawyer added that he had other engagements that could not enable him to sit through the session and listen to submissions of other lawyers.
''I am on high demand so I beg to leave the court since I beg to leave the court and go deal with other matters ,’’ Khaminwa implored the court amid laughter from other lawyers.
His comments amused everyone else since he had not been given an opportunity to speak and instead resorted to interrupt another lawyer who had risen to make a submission.
The judges were left tongue-tied and did not comment or issue a directive in regards to the veteran’s request, before he walked out of the chambers to attend to his other matters.
Earlier, before the Court adjourned for the lunch break, the attorney caused a light moment at the courts when he delivered a message to the Attorney General Dorcas Oduor during his submissions. At the time, Khaminwa claimed that it was possible that President William Ruto too would be impeached if the judges presiding over the matter okayed Gachagua's ouster.
''If the Attorney General were here, I would tell her very plainly: those who want the Deputy President out, let’s assume he is removed, they will be the same people who will come and say, 'President Ruto, you must go'. That will be opening chaos in the country,’’ Khaminwa stated.
Khaminwa, shortly before the court could adjourn caused more laughter when he asked the judges to adjourn until the next day — October 30, after they had provided for a 30-minute adjournment window.
''I like taking care of judges when they are seated. You are human; why don't we adjourn until tomorrow?’’ asked Khaminwa as Justice Ogola struggled to convince him to drop the argument amid laughter bursts from everyone in court.
However, his appeals were unsuccessful.
The Senior Counsel, has been the subject of attention since the Rigathi Gachagua impeachment case lodged at the courts hit national headlines. The veteran lawyer has developed a knack for cracking up persons in court with his humorous arguments and submissions.
For instance, on Tuesday morning, he also caused a light moment when he insisted that the National Assembly and the Senate made an arbitrary decision to oust Gachagua.
Khaminwa suggested that the Executive was the driving force behind the Gachagua impeachment and heavily influenced the National Assembly and the Senate's decision to kick the latter out. He claimed that the courts need not to have been subjected to the impeachment drama.
''What has been made here is an arbitrary decision by Parliament and the Senate, which should not be handled by the court at all. If I may pause here, many of the problems we have experienced in this country have been caused by the Executive,’’
