After the National Assembly on Tuesday October 10, impeached the Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, the DP is now determined to mount a legal fight to save his position while awaiting the Senate’s final decision.
281 Members of Parliament voted in favor of the ouster motion, exceeding the required two-thirds majority needed to send the motion to the Senate, while 44 MPs voted against it.
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi announced on Wednesday, October 9, that the Senate would investigate the allegations against Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on October 16 and 17.
Meanwhile, Gachagua has assembled a robust legal team of 14 lawyers to challenge his ouster comprising of Senior Counsel Paul Muite, Victor Swanya Ogeto, Elisha Ongoya and George Sakimpa, Ndegwa Njiru, George Wandati and Faith Waigwa.
Lawyers of DP Rigathi Gachagua
Paul Muite
Paul Kibugi Muite, S.C., is a Senior Lawyer and Advocate of the High Court of Kenya with 51 years of legal practice.
After his studies in Kenya, Muite moved to London in the UK where he earned an LLB (Hons) degree from the University of London and was admitted as an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya in June 1970.
On March 7, 2003, he joined the Roll of Senior Counsel, the equivalent of Queen’s Counsel in the UK. He actively participates in the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and served as its President in 1990-91.
Throughout his career, Muite has handled high-profile constitutional, criminal, and civil cases both locally and internationally.
Beyond his legal career, Muite represented Kikuyu Constituency in Parliament from 1992 to 2007.
In the late 1980s and 1990s, he became a leading figure in Kenya’s “Struggle for the Second Liberation” and the movement for multi-party democracy, playing a key role in advancing the rule of law and promoting human rights.
He represented Uhuru Kenyatta and the IEBC in the 2013 and 2017 presidential petitions.
He was also involved in the 2022 presidential elections where he represented the four Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners who rejected the results.
Muite also successfully defended former Embu Governor Martin Wambora who challenged his impeachment by the Senate Assembly in courts while serving as county boss.
Also Read: Eckomas Mutuse Mwengi: Profile of MP Moving DP Gachagua’s Impeachment Motion
Ndegwa Njiru
Advocate Ndegwa Njiru served as the lead counsel representing the Meru County Assembly in the impeachment of Governor Kawira Mwangaza in 2024.
He won the case after the Senate upheld the impeachment of Mwangaza on the grounds of gross violation, gross misconduct, and abuse of office. Her impeachment was, however, halted after the High Court issued conservatory orders barring the Seante’s decision.
Ndegwa Njiru is one of the most sought-after lawyers when it comes to impeachment cases.
He represented Nairobi County MCAs in the impeachment of Mike Mbuvi Sonko, who was the governor at the time. Sonko would later be impeached on December 17, 2020.
Ndegwa, who was admitted to the bar in 2011, says he is passionate about impeachment cases because he wants to protect and strengthen devolution, which he calls the engine of growth.
He has extensive experience in constitutional litigation, devolution and contracts negotiations with a Bachelor of Laws Degree from the Kampala International University and a Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law.
Victor Swanya
Victor Swanya, a managing Partner at Swanya & Company Advocates, holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB), Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.), and MBA from the University of Nairobi, and a Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law.
He also earned a Master of Laws (LLM) in International Business, Trade, Investment, and Tax Law from the University of Cumbria in the UK.
Elisha Ongoya
Lawyer Ongoya is no stranger to defending politicians against impeachment charges. He was the lead counsel of Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza in the last two impeachment motions at the Senate Assembly.
He successfully represented Mwangaza in the first impeachment in which Mwangaza won after Senators voted to keep her in office.
The senior Kabarak University School of Law lecturer is remembered as one of the top legal minds who mounted a spirited fight that killed the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) that went all the way to the Supreme Court of Kenya.
Other Legal Representatives of DP Gachagua
Tom Maina Macharia
Lawyer Macharia has over 25 years of experience. In 2021, Chambers & Partners, a leading legal publication recognized him as one of the leading dispute resolution lawyers in Kenya.
Macharia is a graduate of University of Nairobi and holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice from Kenya School of Law.
Also Read: Profile of Adil Arshed Khawaja, Ruto’s Man Serving as Adani Group Lawyer
Andrew Muge
Andrew Muge, the son of the late Anglican Bishop Alexander Kipsang Muge earned his LLB Degree from the University of Nairobi and thereafter completed the Advocates Training Programme at the Kenya School of Law.
Muge, the Managing Partner at Muge Law Advocates started his law career at the renowned firm of Ashitiva Advocates LLP, before heading the Litigation Department at MAK & Partners Advocates.
He is currently handling the appeal of Joseph Irungu (Jowie) and is involved in the succession matters of Daniel Toroitich Moi, Jonathan Moi, and Jackson Kibor.
He also represents Amnesty International in a constitutional petition filed against Meta Platforms Inc (Facebook).
Other Lawyers representing DP Gachagua include, Erick Kiprop Naibei, and Julia Omwamba.
George Sakimpa
George Sakimpa holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Tax Administration from the Kenya School of Revenue Administration (KESRA).
He completed the Advocates Training Programme at the Kenya School of Law and earned his Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the University of Nairobi. Additionally, Swanya is a Certified Secretary (CS(K)), having obtained his certification from KASNEB.
He worked as a Litigation Associate at Anjarwalla & Khanna (ALN) from September 2022 to June 2024. He began his legal career at Ashitiva Advocates LLP, serving as an Associate in the Dispute Resolution Department for nearly three years and also working as a Corporate Lawyer in the Corporate Commercial Department for eight months.
George Wandati
George holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL. B Hons.) from Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya, which he earned in 2008 and a Postgraduate Diploma in Law from The Kenya School of Law, Nairobi, Kenya, which he obtained in 2010.
Thereafter, he joined the TripleOKlaw Advocates and later the Firm of E.K Mutua & Company Advocates as an Associate.
He has also successfully undergone Arbitration Dispute Resolution Training and is a member of International Commission of Jurists (ICJ).
Faith Waigwa
She is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya of over 15 years post admission experience in private practice.
Ms. Waigwa holds a Bachelor of Laws degree (LL. B) (Hons) from the University of Nairobi, a postgraduate Diploma in Law from Kenya School of Law and a Master of Laws Degree (LL.M) from Strathmore University.Andrew Muge, the son of the late Anglican Bishop Alexander Kipsang Muge earned his LLB Degree from the University of Nairobi and thereafter completed the Advocates Training Programme at the Kenya School of Law.
Amos Kisilu
Amos Kisilu holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL. B Hons.) from Makerere University, Kampala which he earned in 2008, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Law from The Kenya School of Law which he obtained in 2010.
Thereafter, he joined the prestigious law firm of Iseme Kamau & Maema Advocates where he practiced until he resigned in August 2013 to establish the firm of Kisilu & Company Advocates.
Murugi Kamande
Murugi Kamande is a legal practitioner with a strong passion for dispute resolution. He specializes in criminal defense litigation and has a keen interest in constitutional and election petitions, public procurement law, as well as environmental and land law,
Willis Echesa
Willis has 14 years of experience in law, having earned his bachelor’s degree in law (LL. B) from Moi University. He also holds a master’s degree in law with a specialization in intellectual property from the University of Nairobi, which he obtained in December 2014.
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