Gachagua Impeachment Process Had Full Public Participation, Lawyers Tell Court
2 min read
Lawyers representing the National Assembly have defended the impeachment process against former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, saying Kenyans were fully involved through public participation.
The lawyers told a three-judge bench that the Constitution only allows members of the public to give their opinions during such a process, while elected Members of Parliament make the final decision.
According to the lawyers, public participation is meant to help MPs understand the views of Kenyans before voting.
“The public gives views to help leaders make decisions. MPs are the ones elected to vote on behalf of Kenyans,” the court heard.
The National Assembly’s legal team also said the impeachment process had to follow strict timelines set by the Constitution.
They told the court that Parliament invited Kenyans to submit their views through notices published in both English and Swahili on different media platforms.
The court further heard that public hearings were conducted in county headquarters across the country to allow citizens to take part in the process.
Lawyers said the impeachment grounds were clearly explained in the public notices and during the hearings.
The submissions were made after Gachagua challenged the impeachment process in court, claiming there was no meaningful public participation and that the process was unconstitutional.
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