Church leaders appealed for political unity and calm in Kenya after parliamentarians voted to impeach the deputy president for inflaming ethnic tensions and corrupt conduct.
A majority of 282 members of the 349-strong national assembly backed the impeachment of Geoffrey Rigathi Gachagua in a vote on 8 October, advancing the case to the senate with the tacit endorsement of President William Ruto. Gachagua has denied all charges.
Archbishop Maurice Makumba Muhatia of Kisumbu, speaking ahead of the vote at the National Marian Shrine in Subukia, said politicians should foster unity.
“We do not want elected leaders to express division, dividing citizens in our region and thereby undermining development,” he told Catholics attending a national prayer meeting at Subukia on 5 October. “It defeats the purpose of why we became a nation and why we fought for independence.”
Other Catholic bishops were similarly guarded, condemning corruption while calling for reconciliation.
“We must remain brothers and sisters. Love must prevail. We must care for one another. Violence and hatred orchestrated by political leaders must find no space in God-loving Kenyans,” said Archbishop Anthony Muheria of Nyeri on 6 October.
Reports last week suggested Archbishop Muheria and the Anglican Archbishop of Kenya Jackson Ole Sapit had attempted to mediate a rapprochement between Ruto and Gachagua. Speaking on 13 October, Archbishop Sapit urged the senate to debate the impeachment impartially before it voted on 17 October.
“As the upper house, the senate has been entrusted with the responsibility of reviewing the actions of the national assembly. The ball is now in their court, and this is a critical example of checks and balances. I hope and pray that they will handle the process with sobriety,” he said.
Gachagua’s impeachment would be the first under measures introduced in the 2010 constitution allowing the legislature to vote to impeach the president or his deputy to bar them from public office.
The process began months after the mass “Gen Z” protests against Ruto’s government in June, which some have accused Gachagua of financing.