NAIROBI, Kenya- Fresh admissions by two Members of Parliament that lawmakers were allegedly paid during the impeachment of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua have triggered renewed calls for investigations into the historic parliamentary process.
The latest reaction came from Kenyan economist Mohamed Wehliye, who questioned why no action had been taken despite the public claims by legislators.
“Members of Parliament are openly confessing how they took bribes to undertake a constitutional process and yet nothing will happen to them. No inquiries. No investigations. Nothing. In fact, even journalists interviewing them are laughing about it like it is a joke. I give up,” Wehliye said in a post on social media.
His remarks followed comments by Junet Mohamed, who claimed that money changed hands in Parliament during the impeachment of Gachagua in October 2024.
Speaking at a political rally in Kakamega over the weekend, Junet alleged that MPs were given money as the impeachment motion was being processed and claimed that the funds were being managed by a senior legislator.
He, however, did not provide evidence to support the allegation or identify the source of the alleged payments.
“There was something moving around in Parliament when we were impeaching Rigathi Gachagua,” Junet said, adding that some lawmakers had failed to put the alleged money to meaningful use.
His remarks echoed similar comments made by Phelix Odiwuor, popularly known as Jalang’o, who also stated publicly that legislators received money during the impeachment process, though he similarly did not present evidence to substantiate the claim.
The allegations have reignited debate over the integrity of the constitutional process that saw Gachagua become Kenya’s first Deputy President to be removed from office through impeachment under the 2010 Constitution.
In June 2026, the High Court upheld Gachagua’s impeachment but found that his right to a fair hearing had been violated after the Senate declined to adjourn proceedings when he was absent due to illness.
The court awarded him Sh 50 million in constitutional damages but allowed the impeachment to stand.
Despite the latest claims by the MPs, no investigative agency has announced inquiries into the alleged bribery, and no formal complaints have been publicly filed regarding the admissions.
Under Kenya’s anti-corruption laws, bribery involving public officers is a criminal offence and can be investigated by agencies including the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
The public admissions have continued to fuel political debate, with critics calling for independent investigations to determine whether the allegations amount to evidence of criminal conduct or are merely political statements.
