Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has withdrawn his prayer seeking reinstatement as Deputy President in a new development.
The move was confirmed on Monday, April 27 by his legal team, who indicated that Gachagua will now pursue compensation over his impeachment instead.
During proceedings at the Milimani Law Courts, his lawyer informed a three-judge bench comprising Justices Eric Ogolla, Anthony Mrima, and Freda Mugambi that Gachagua has abandoned his bid for reinstatement.
Gachagua abandons reinstatement bid, shifts focus to compensation claim over impeachment. Photo: Courtesy.
Instead, the former DP is seeking compensation for remuneration, damages, and losses he alleges resulted from what he describes as an unlawful and procedurally flawed removal from office.
The lawyer went on to note that the main prayers in the petition seek to overturn the impeachment and secure payment of salaries and benefits he would have earned under the law.
Muite argued that during Gachagua’s 2.5 years in office, Article 151 of the Constitution applied fully, and that impeachment cannot be applied retrospectively.
The legal team also claimed the impeachment process was designed to reach a predetermined outcome with limited public participation.
The court also heard that Gachagua had raised 18 issues he wants the three-judge bench to consider in determining the case.
Following the session, the matter was scheduled for further hearing on May 7, with an additional hearing set for May 8.
His legal team had initially proposed consecutive hearing days for the petition; however, the court declined the request, noting that sitting on Tuesday, April 28 would be impractical due to interviews for Supreme Court judges.
Gachagua was impeached in October 2024 after the National Assembly voted to remove him from office, a decision that was later upheld by the Senate, effectively ending his tenure as Deputy President of Kenya.
