Kenya’s parliament has begun the final step to remove Vice President Rigathi Gachagua from office.
A majority of people voted in the National Assembly last week to approve his dismissal, setting the stage for a two-day Senate hearing to decide whether to remove him.
The Vice President is facing 11 charges including corruption, inciting sectarianism and undermining the government – all of which he denies.
This follows his disagreement with President William Ruto, who has remained silent on the matter.
Gachagua’s case is being held before the Senate floor after abandoning the plan to establish a committee of eleven members to investigate these cases.
The vice president stood in front of the court for the charges to be read he as the trial continues – denying all charges.
Analysts expect that the prosecution of the Vice President will be confirmed as members of the ruling party may be replaced by those from the opposition parties as happened when Parliament voted on this case.
On Wednesday, the evidence of the National Assembly against Gachagua, including any witnesses, will be presented, examined for three hours followed by another two hours of cross-examination.
On Thursday, the case will continue to discuss evidence and witnesses on Gachagua’s side until the afternoon.
At the end of the process in the evening, the senators will debate the proposal for about two hours and vote – which is scheduled to happen on Thursday night from 20:30 local time.
The Senate could decide to extend the process until Friday, the last day it can legally extend the matter.
At least two-thirds of the 67 members of the Senate must approve the motion to remove Gachagua from office.
If that happens and his prosecution is stopped, he will be barred from holding public office.
He is expected to challenge the case in court if successful.
The vice president has made several unsuccessful attempts to stop the impeachment process, as at least 26 cases have been filed in the courts so far.
On Tuesday, the judge ruled that the court would not interfere and said the Senate should continue with its constitutional duties.
And just before the show began on Wednesday, a three-judge bench also rejected the same plea.
Some of the grounds for Gachagua’s impeachment include allegations that he acquired assets worth 5.2bn Kenyan shillings ($40m; £31m) in the two years since he became vice president – allegedly through corrupt means.
He explained, including the hearing of his case in the National Parliament, that many of the areas in question belonged to his late brother.
The vice president is a wealthy businessman from the vote-rich central region of Mount Kenya.
In just five years, he went from being a member of Parliament for the first time to becoming the number 2 in Kenya’s leadership, after Ruto chose him as his running mate in the August 2022 elections.
At that time, he was fighting allegations of corruption in the court which were withdrawn after he became the Vice President.
His impeachment trial has consumed many Kenyans and the media in recent weeks.
Others see the high political drama the issue has unleashed as a distraction from the economic concerns of the majority of Kenyans who are struggling due to the high cost of living.
In June, disgruntled Kenyans took to the streets in deadly protests sparked by an unwanted tax hike, exposing the deep rift between Ruto and Gachagua.
Gachagua is now accused of undermining the work of the security agencies following the words he said at the time accusing the intelligence service.
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