Who is likely to replace Deputy President (DP) Rigathi Gachagua if the senators vote to uphold any of the eleven charges, he is facing in the impeachment motion tabled against him? This is a question that most people are asking, even as President William Ruto maintains his silence about the tribulations facing his deputy.
Gachagua’s chances of survival now depend on the Senate after 281 Members of Parliament (MPs) voted in favor of the motion.
The Constitution requires that a two-thirds majority, which equates to 233 votes, should support the motion for it to be carried.
For this reason, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula has notified Senate Speaker Amason Kingi of the resolution of the House.
Kingi has since convened a sitting on Wednesday, October 9, for hearing the charges contained in the impeachment motion.
The motion will be heard through plenary after Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna failed to second the motion to form a special committee to investigate the charges.
As specified in Article 145 (7), Gachagua will cease to hold office if at least two-thirds of the Senate Members (45 senators) vote to uphold any impeachment charges.
If this happens, President Ruto is mandated to nominate another deputy within fourteen days after the impeachment.
The National Assembly will then vet the nominee and vote within fourteen days.
Also Read: Atwoli Speaks About Replacing Gachagua as DP
Kithure Kindiki Leads Gachagua Replacement Race
According to a Tifa Research report, Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kithure Kindiki leads the race of possible replacements if Gachagua is ousted.
Kindiki is the favorite candidate at 37 percent after MPs from the Mt. Kenya region endorsed him as the kingpin.
He was Gachagua’s competitor for Ruto’s running mate position prior to the 2022 general elections. Kindiki served as Tharaka Nithi senator between 2013 and 2022 before President Ruto urged him to join national politics.
Musalia Mudavadi
Prime CS and CS for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi and Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro come second at 5 percent.
Mudavadi worked with President Ruto during the 2007 ODM Pentagon Alliance that supported Raila Odinga for the presidency.
He has vast experience in Kenya’s politics and governance, having served in different capacities between 1989 and now.
He served as the 7th Vice-President of Kenya in 2002 and as Deputy Prime Minister during the coalition government between Mwai Kibaki and Raila.
Mudavadi contested for the presidency but emerged third after Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila. He supported Raila in the 2017 general elections under the NASA Alliance but joined Ruto in the last general election.
Also Read: Gachagua Impeachment: What Next for Ruto If Senate Passes the Ouster Motion?
Ndindi Nyoro
National Assembly Budget and Appropriations Committee Chairman Ndindi Nyoro has been a vocal supporter of Ruto since the Jubilee government last term.
Nyoro joined politics in 2017 when he contested for the Kiharu parliamentary seat under the Jubilee Party ticket and won.
He supported Ruto after divisions emerged in Jubilee following Uhuru’s handshake with Raila in 2018.
The youthful lawmaker retained his seat through the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party and has since become a household name in Kenyan politics.
Anne Waiguru
Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru and her Homa Bay counterpart Gladys Wanga are among the female candidates on Gachagua’s succession list.
Wanga is fourth on the list at 3 percent, followed by Waiguru, whose chances are at 2 percent.
Speaking in March, Ruto hinted at having a female running mate in the UDA party in the upcoming elections.
Ruto said he would ensure UDA leads from the front in supporting women and consequently help in attaining the two-thirds gender rule.
He explained that the party would make the decision to ensure both genders move together in leadership and governance.
“Gachagua and I, later on, when we discuss our future politics, must also agree that going forward, if a man is a candidate for President in our party, the woman must be the running mate, and if a woman is a candidate, then a man can be a running mate,” Ruto said.
Waiguru has served as Kirinyaga governor since 2017. She was one of the pioneer female governors alongside Charity Ngilu and the late Joyce Laboso.
Waiguru was elected the first female vice chair of the Council of Governors (CoG) and the first chairperson in September 2022.
Prior to joining elective politics, she served as the first Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Devolution and Planning.
Gladys Wanga
Governor Wanga is the only politician allied to Raila who has appeared on the list.
The governor is the current Chairperson of the ODM, having succeeded Treasury CS John Mbadi.
Wanga burst into the political scene in 2013 when she became the first woman representative for Homa Bay County and was re-elected unopposed in 2017.
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