Kenya’s Deputy President, Rigathi Gachagua, has been hospitalized, causing a delay in his testimony at his ongoing impeachment trial in the Senate, his lawyer Paul Muite confirmed on Thursday.
“The unfortunate reality is that the Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya has become very unwell and is currently hospitalised,” Muite informed the Senate, explaining Gachagua’s absence.
In response, Senate Speaker Amason Kingi announced that the hearings would be paused until 5:00 p.m. local time (1400 GMT), when Gachagua is expected to appear before the Senate.
“We expect the Deputy President to take the witness stand at 5. Unfortunately, this is a time-bound process. It is so ordered,” Kingi said.
The Senate trial began on Wednesday after the National Assembly voted to impeach Gachagua last week on 11 charges, including corruption, insubordination, and promoting ethnically divisive politics.
