Tana River Senator Danson Mungatana has doubled down on his censure motion against Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, citing the DP’s change in character over time.
Mungatana believes Gachagua’s actions reflect a lack of commitment to the country’s interests in his role as the second-in-command.
In an interview on Citizen TV’s Daybreak, the senator addressed questions regarding his decision to file a censure motion amid growing discussions of impeachment among Gachagua’s critics. Some speculate that the motion could be introduced in Parliament within two weeks.
Mungatana clarified that the censure motion does not seek to oust the deputy president from office. Instead, he explained that it serves as a signal for Gachagua to realign his actions with the government’s agenda.
“We were in South Africa for the African parliament session, we go there three times a year, I personally said after watching things unfold, that when I go home on Sunday, I’m filing the censure motion,” he explained.
“There’s no correlation really. But we also watched the interview, it wasn’t a person who’s a principal assistant to the president. I think something has gone off the road. The Gachagua off late is not the Gachagua we started with. So this censure motion is saying let us go back to the line.”
In his motion, Mungatana accuses Gachagua of making divisive statements along tribal lines. He also claims that the DP has incited citizens to disregard directives from certain county governments, undermining the authority of his office.
Mungatana argues that Gachagua violated Article 75 of the Constitution, which requires state officers to act in ways that prioritize the public interest over personal agendas.
“The Senate, pursuant to Standing Order 101, Section 1, expresses its displeasure and disappointment with the conduct of Hon. Rigathi Gachagua as the Deputy President of Kenya, and therefore we need to censure him,” Mungatana stated in the motion.
