National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohamed on Sunday alleged that Members of Parliament received money to support the impeachment of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua in 2024, reopening debate over one of the country's most consequential political processes.
Speaking during an ODM-UDA rally in Malava, Kakamega County, Mr Junet claimed that money was distributed to lawmakers during the impeachment exercise and sensationally named Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot as the alleged "accounting officer" in the process.
He, however, did not provide evidence to support the claims.
"Na unajua waziri, wakati tulikuwa tunafukuza Gachagua kazi, kuna kitu kilitembea hapo, huko bungeni. Wacha niseme ukweli. Kuna kitu kilitembea nini? Na accounting officer alikuwa mtu anaitwa Cheruiyot ndiyo alikuwa accounting officer," Mr Junet told the crowd.
Translated loosely, Mr Junet said: "When we were removing Gachagua from office, something moved around in Parliament. Let me tell the truth. Something changed hands, and the accounting officer was someone called Cheruiyot."
He went on to joke that legislators who allegedly benefited should have invested the money wisely.
"Kama umepata kitu kwa impeachment ya Gachagua, tafadhali jenga boma mzuri. Ile boma nimeona na pesa ya Gachagua haitoshi?" he said, drawing laughter from supporters.
Earlier in his speech, Mr Junet dismissed attempts by opposition leaders to rally support around Mr Gachagua, questioning why politicians would follow someone Parliament had already removed from office.
"Sasa wengine wanatuambia kwamba wako na watu. Na wanataka kupeleka sisi kwa mtu ambaye tumefanya impeachment, tumefukuza yeye kazi," he said.
The remarks came days after Mr Gachagua's Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) won the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, a victory that has emboldened the former Deputy President's camp and intensified political contestation ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Impeachment battle
Mr Gachagua was impeached in October 2024 after both the National Assembly and the Senate upheld charges accusing him of violating the Constitution, engaging in conduct unbecoming of the office of Deputy President, fostering ethnically divisive politics, undermining collective Cabinet responsibility and abusing his office.
The National Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favour of the impeachment motion before the matter proceeded to the Senate, where a majority of senators upheld several of the charges, leading to his removal from office.
The impeachment marked the dramatic collapse of the political partnership between President William Ruto and his deputy, barely two years after the Kenya Kwanza coalition won the 2022 General Election on a joint ticket.
Following Mr Gachagua's removal, Prof. Kithure Kindiki was nominated and later approved by Parliament as Deputy President.
Since leaving office, Mr Gachagua has reinvented himself as one of President Ruto's fiercest critics, accusing the Head of State of betrayal and positioning himself as a rallying point for opposition forces ahead of the 2027 elections.
Junet's changing political role
Mr Junet's allegations underscore the dramatic realignment that has transformed Kenya's political landscape over the past two years.
For years, the Suna East MP was among President Ruto's most outspoken critics, serving as a key lieutenant of ODM leader Raila Odinga and frequently leading parliamentary attacks against the Kenya Kwanza administration.
That changed after President Ruto and Mr Odinga entered into a broad-based political arrangement aimed at easing political tensions and facilitating cooperation between the government and sections of the opposition.
Since then, Mr Junet has emerged as one of the most vocal defenders of the arrangement, often sharing political platforms with senior Kenya Kwanza leaders and defending the government's legislative agenda.
His latest attack on Mr Gachagua reflects the growing political convergence between leaders allied to President Ruto and ODM against the former Deputy President, who has become one of the administration's most vocal opponents.
