Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo has sensationally claimed that he was offered Ksh10 million to support the impeachment of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, opening a new chapter in the debate over one of Kenya’s most significant political processes.
Speaking during a Citizen TV interview on July 30, Maanzo alleged that individuals he described as government-linked operatives approached him with an offer of Ksh10 million in exchange for his vote in the Senate impeachment proceedings against Gachagua.
According to the senator, the alleged offer came with strict conditions and threats.
“I was approached, and I was given a condition. I was told, you take this money, you must vote yes,” Maanzo said during the interview.
Senator Maanzo on Gachagua’s Impeachment
The senator further alleged that there were consequences attached to the arrangement, saying those involved warned him against either taking the money and failing to vote as directed or accepting it and disappearing.
According to the senator, the alleged offer was specifically linked to the Senate vote on Gachagua’s impeachment and was not open to negotiation.
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Maanzo claimed he had already made up his mind on how to vote despite the alleged pressure from the individuals who approached him.
He alleged that the people behind the offer threatened him over the outcome of the vote and linked the warning to his personal safety.
However, when asked to name at least one government official involved in the bribery scheme, Dan Maanzo declined to identify the individuals involved.
When pressed on who had offered the money, Maanzo repeatedly referred to them as agents.
He later described them as people from the government and Kenya Kwanza operatives who had been active in politics for many years.
Senator Dan Maanzo maintained that he could not reveal their identities because of the threats he claimed had been made against him.
“If they were threatening me with death that time, why would I name them now? I can’t,”Maanzo stated.
Questions over Integrity and Openness
During the interview, Maanzo was also questioned on whether he reported the alleged bribery attempt and threats to the relevant authorities.
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In response, the senator suggested that threats are common in politics but acknowledged that the warning directed at him was explicit and tied to the impeachment vote.
He did not indicate during the interview whether a formal complaint had been lodged with investigative agencies.
Senator Dan Maanzo’s claim comes days after Suna East MP and National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohammed made similar allegations regarding the impeachment of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
Speaking during an ODM-UDA rally in Malava, Kakamega County, on July 26, Minority Leader in the National Assembly Junet claimed that money changed hands in Parliament during the process that led to Gachagua’s removal from office.
Although he did not disclose the amount involved or identify lawmakers who allegedly benefited, he suggested that some legislators received payments linked to the impeachment process.
‘When we were impeaching former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, there was some money that was moving around in Parliament. I will say the truth, there was something moving around,’ Junet said.
The Minority Leader went on to suggest that some of those who allegedly received money had little to show for it.
‘There are some people who received the money but have not built their homesteads. Impeachment does not come every day. If you got something from Gachagua’s impeachment, please improve your home,’ he said.
Junet did not provide evidence to support the claims or identify the source of the alleged payments.
He also did not name the lawmakers he claimed benefited from the money.
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