Kenya Insights

Tag: Amason Kingi

  • Speaker Kingi Dresses Down Karen Nyamu Over Her Dressing

    Speaker Kingi Dresses Down Karen Nyamu Over Her Dressing

    Nairobi, Kenya – Senate Speaker Amason Kingi on Wednesday reprimanded nominated senator Karen Nyamu over what he termed as “improper dressing” in the chamber, issuing her with a stern warning not to repeat the conduct.

    The incident unfolded during the Senate’s afternoon sitting on September 24, 2025, after Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua raised concern about Nyamu’s attire. She had entered the chamber with her jacket worn only on one side, leaving the other side hanging loose.

    “Mr Speaker, have you seen Senator Karen Nyamu and the way she is dressed today, walking into the House with one side of the jacket worn and the rest hanging? You must enforce rules in this House. If you fail to act, you will set a dangerous precedent,” Wambua argued.

    In his ruling, Speaker Kingi declared the senator out of order, saying her appearance violated the Senate’s dress code. He cautioned that any repeat of the conduct would attract harsher consequences.

    Senate Speaker Amason Kingi during the Thursday October 17, 2024 session.
    Senate Speaker Amason Kingi during the Thursday October 17, 2024 session.

    “You are out of order for violating the Speaker’s rules. Karen Nyamu, I will give you a warning for today. If you repeat the same thing, you will have to leave the chamber,” Kingi ruled.

    The confrontation came just a day after the Senate resumed its sittings following a prolonged recess.

    Lawmakers had initially been scheduled to reconvene on September 15 after their August break but extended their recess by an additional week. Senators had earlier been recalled briefly to handle the impeachment proceedings against Kericho Governor Erick Mutai, which lasted three days before they returned to their break.

    Parliamentary standing orders require lawmakers to observe a strict dress code in line with the dignity of the Houses, a standard Speaker Kingi emphasized must be upheld without compromise.

  • Gachagua Impeached As Kenya’s Deputy President

    Gachagua Impeached As Kenya’s Deputy President

    Senators have voted to impeach the Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua Thursday evening after approving five of the 11 charges levelled against him in the historic impeachment motion.

    Before undertaking the vote, Senate Speaker Amason Kingi directed senators to vote on all 11 charges, noting that the threshold to move the motion needed 45 senators to vote in favor for the charge.

    “Honerable senators, these are the guidelines on how we are going to move forward: All Senators are eligible to cast their votes, the threshold is 45 senators and we are going to vote for the charges separately. So we are going to vote 11 times.” Senate Speaker directed.

    The development coming after 281 Members of the National Assembly voted to impeach the Deputy President following a motion tabled by Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse.

    The motion by Mutuse laid 11 grounds for DP Gachagua’s ouster ranging from gross violations of the constitution and other laws such as the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act, the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act, the Leadership and Integrity Act and the National Cohesion and Integration Act.

    DP Gachagua was expected to appear before Senate as a witness for cross examination but was taken ill, Thursday afternoon.

    He is currently undergoing treatment at Karen Hospital, where he is reported to be suffering from intense chest pains.

    Senior Counsel Paul Muite urged the Senate to postpone the proceedings until Tuesday, citing Gachagua’s health condition and the need for the Deputy President to physically present his defense.

    However, Senate resolved to continue with the impeachment proceedings against Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua despite his lawyer’s request for an adjournment to allow him time to recover and appear in person.

    The Speaker of the Senate Amason Kingi ruled that the adjournment request must be decided by the Senate and not unilaterally by the Speaker calling upon the Majority Leader to move a motion to adjourn to Saturday, October 19.

    Lawyers representing the National Assembly opposed the adjournment, insisting that the trial should proceed in accordance with Senate rules, even in the absence of the Deputy President.

    They argued that Gachagua had the option of being represented or submitting documents, as permitted by Senate standing orders.

    The motion to adjourn was, however, defeated after a majority of senators declined to support it.

    Speaker Kingi emphasised the Senate’s obligation to adhere to constitutional timelines, pointing out that the impeachment process must be concluded within 10 days.

    “The Senate has a greater duty to comply with the Constitution and stick to the strict timeline of 10 days,” Kingi stated.

    However, the Deputy President’s legal team walked out in protest after the Senate rejected the motion to adjourn to Saturday.

    “We shall be perpetuating an illegality if we were to sit in parliament without instructions from our client,” said Lawyer Ndegwa Njiru.

    Charges Against Gachagua

    The 11 charges facing Gachagua range from allegations of financial misconduct to accusations of ethnic divisiveness.

    The impeachment motion accuses him of undermining President William Ruto’s government and engaging in corrupt activities, including using proxies to amass significant wealth and state property.

    In addition, Gachagua has been accused of fostering division by engaging in politics that exploits ethnic tensions, a serious charge in Kenya’s delicate political landscape.

    One of the most damning accusations is that Gachagua manipulated his ailing brother, Nderitu Gachagua, into signing a will from his sickbed to acquire family assets, including a hotel.

    Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse, who sponsored the impeachment motion, argued that Gachagua’s conduct amounted to “extraordinary wrongdoing” and warranted immediate removal from office.

    Mutuse also claimed that Gachagua had amassed wealth estimated at Ksh 5.2 billion through corrupt dealings, using his influence to award lucrative government tenders to family members and friends.

    However, Gachagua has dismissed all the accusations as false, calling the charges “ridiculous and embarrassing.”

  • Gachagua Lawyers Want Governor Orengo Barred From Representing NA

    Gachagua Lawyers Want Governor Orengo Barred From Representing NA

    Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s legal team has objected to senior counsel James Orengo (Siaya Governor) representing the National Assembly.

    Lawyer Ndegwa Njiru in his preliminary objection argued that Orengo who is National Assembly lead counsel should be barred on grounds that he is a state officer.

    “James Orengo is a full-time serving state officer and is barred from engaging in employment. It would be prejudicial to our client if this house were to allow James Orengo to represent the National Assembly in these proceedings” Ndegwa said.

    Lawyer Ndegwa Njiru.

    He further cited similar objections which have been upheld in the past on account of conflict of interest, a case in point being the 2021 high court ruling where Orengo who was the Siaya Senator at the time was barred from representing former Kenya Ports Authority managing director Dr Daniel Manduku facing graft charges.

    He also referred to Article 260 of the constitution which bars a full-time state officer from engaging in gainful employment. The Lawyer also objected to the introduction of any new evidence against his client.

    Responding to the objection, lawyer Eric Gumbo challenged the defence team to table evidence supporting the claims.

    “The Constitution of Kenya article 77 is the primary law that then speaks to the restrictions on activities of state officers. There has been no assertion that learned Senior Counsel James Orengo by representing a party before this house has participated in gainful employment. In any case, what evidence has been tendered before this House to speak to that fact? he posed.

    Meanwhile, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has pleaded not guilty to the 11 charges levelled against him.

    The National Assembly has been allocated a maximum of three hours for presentation of the case and re-examination while the Deputy President will have 2 hours for cross-examination of witnesses.

    Thereafter, Senators will be given an opportunity to ask questions or seek clarification from the National Assembly.

    Thursday sitting

    The DP is scheduled to present his case before the Senate and will have a maximum of three hours for both presentation and re-examination whereas the NA will have two hours for cross-examination of witnesses.

    Senators will once again be given an opportunity, following which closing statements by the parties will be made for a period of not exceeding one hour each.

    The Senate shall thereafter proceed to debate a special motion before voting on each of the charges.

    The Senate has been adjourned until 2.30 pm when the proceedings on the proposed removal from office of Deputy President by impeachment will continue.

    Speaker Amason Kingi is expected to rule on the preliminary objections by the Deputy President’s counsels and also on businessman Peterson Njomo Muchira affidavit claiming to have key evidence regarding the ongoing impeachment motion.

  • Kingi-Mwathathe war ripping PAA party apart

    Kingi-Mwathathe war ripping PAA party apart

    The fallout between Kilifi governor Amason Kingi and former Chief of Defence Forces General Samson Mwathethe is causing turbulence in Pamoja African Alliance (PAA) party. Mwathethe who enjoys strong links between the party officials and State House has left the party over lack of honesty in operations.

    PAA wrote to the Registrar of Political Parties Anne Nderitu seeking to withdraw from the Azimio La Umoja-One Kenya Coalition. The Kingi led party claimed that it is kept in the dark over the agreement it signed with Azimio Coalition.

    “We confirm that PAA vide its letter dated April 25, to the Registrar of Political Parties is seeking to withdraw from the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition party,” Governor Kingi posted on Twitter.

    Other officials of the Kilifi based political party also told the media that they had not seen the agreement it had signed with the coalition.

    Former Chief of Defence Forces General Samson Mwathathe [p/courtesy]
    But reports are also rife that Deputy President Dr. William Ruto is using former Malindi MP Lucas Maitha, an official of PAA to poach the party from Azimio at a good fee.

    Ruto taking over the party will leave the likes of George Kithi with serious political injuries. He is eyeing the Kilifi gubernatorial seat where he will face off with UDA’s Aisha Jumwa.

    Kithi will definitely be forced to shelve his bid in favour of Jumwa who is Ruto’s sidekick and a powerful political force.

    PAA officials are desperate to make a killing and will not care if the  party candidates win or lose since they have already pocketed their nomination fees.

    Kingi party will be the second from the Coastal region to be swallowed by DP Ruto after he bought Kadu Asili, a brief case party which has no political impact.

    But a section of supporters and candidates vying for various positions are opposed to the hawking move and have threatened to take a legal action.

    They argue that they were attracted to the party because of its affiliation to Azimio la Umoja coalition whose presidential candidate is ODM leader Raila Odinga.

    Kingi fell out with Odinga and in early 2021 when he publicly lectured the ODM leader to let coastal people to form and run political parties that carry their ambitions.

    That lecture sealed his departure from ODM and dented his long political relationship with Raila Odinga and even his stay in Azimio was expected to be rocky.

     

     

  • ODM cooking reasons to kick-out Joho

    ODM cooking reasons to kick-out Joho

    All has not been well between Mombasa governor Hassan Joho and handlers of ODM party leader Raila Odinga since the party lost Msambweni parliamentary seat in a by-election held in November last year. Joho, a one time ardent supporter and defender of the ODM leader is now considered a baggage with the party luminaries sidelining him with his presidential bid.

    The outgoing Mombasa governor who has missed in Raila’s recent events is accused of secretly financing Kilifi governor Amason Kingi who is championing the formation of a political party with coastal roots. Kingi was recently kick out as the ODM chairman, Kilifi branch, barely a month after two political parties (Pamoja Alliance and Kenya Democracy for Change) from the Coast were handed provisional certificates.

    Raila’s handlers also claim that their party leader is rebranding himself to appeal to the international community thus can’t be spotted with characters like Joho who has been widely mentioned in drug trafficking and tax evasion scandals. They also claim that the flashy governor is linked to criminal characters and is in bad books with the western powers.

    Kilifi governor Amason Kingi. Raila recently kicked him from ODM [p/courtesy]

    Joho has been the face of ODM in the coastal region where the party bagged majority of elective seats in 2013 and 2017 general elections with Kilifi having all its leaders elected on ODM party ticket.

    The plot to kick out Joho is also fueled by the fact that Coast governors who are serving their second and final terms including Kwale’s Salim Mvurya – have been seeking new alliances to remain relevant in the post 2022 politics. Both Joho and Kingi have declared interests for presidency with the support of Raila whom they have backed in the three previous elections.

    Joho, businessman Jimi Wanjigi and Kakamega governor Wycliffe Oparanya have all applied for the ODM’s presidential ticket but the party’s election board is planning to announce fresh applications before it hands the ticket to Raila Odinga.

    The once vocal politician will be forced to follow his Kilifi counterpart before he makes up his mind to leave the Odinga -led party which has also been abandoned by Kingi allies including Kilifi ODM youth league chairman Samir Nyundo who resigned from ODM citing lack of inclusivity and development for the region.