Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has gathered a team of top lawyers for his impeachment defense. This team includes attorneys who once represented former President Uhuru Kenyatta in election cases.
Today, the National Assembly will discuss the impeachment motion against Gachagua. He plans to appear in the evening to address allegations of serious constitutional violations before the Assembly votes. Senior Counsel Paul Muite will also lead the team of nearly 20 lawyers. Muite, a seasoned lawyer with 51 years of experience, is a former MP for Kikuyu and a close friend of Gachagua. He has worked on many high-profile election cases, including the 2022 presidential election petition.
Muite and lawyer Issa Mansur represented four Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners. These commissioners also contested the results that declared Dr. William Ruto and Gachagua as President and Deputy President. They are Juliana Cherera, Justus Nyang’aya, Irene Masit, and Francis Wanderi.
Lawyer Tom Maina Macharia is also part of Gachagua’s legal team. Macharia represented Kenyatta in the 2013 and 2017 presidential election petitions. In 2021, Chambers & Partners recognized him as a leading dispute resolution lawyer in Kenya.
Other notable lawyers on the team are former Attorney General Githu Muigai, Fred Ngatia, Fred Ojiambo, and Pheroze Nowroje. Lawyer Victor Swanya Ogeto, who ran for the Kitutu Masaba parliamentary seat in 2022 and is the vice chairman of the Wiper party, is also included. Faith Waigwa, a former vice president of the Law Society of Kenya with over 15 years of legal experience, is on the team as well. Lawyer Willis Otieno, and Ndegwa Njiru, known for his role in impeachment proceedings, are also involved.
The National Assembly will consider the impeachment motion today.