The Senate is set to begin the impeachment hearing of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua today, October 16, 2024, in a plenary session. The proceedings are scheduled to unfold over two days, with a detailed timetable outlining how the events will progress.
On the first day, the Senate will hold a closed-door pre-hearing meeting from 9 AM to 10 AM. During this session, senators will review their mandate, the Rules of Procedure, and the Hearing Programme to ensure all parties are prepared for the process ahead.
At 10 AM, members of the National Assembly involved in the case, along with their legal counsel, will be introduced. Following this, at 10:30 AM, Deputy President Gachagua and his legal team will also be formally presented to the Senate.
The charges against Gachagua will be read between 11 AM and 11:30 AM. Following this, the National Assembly will present its opening statement, after which Gachagua’s defense team will take the floor. Each side will have 30 minutes to present their case.
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From noon to 1 PM, the National Assembly will present its evidence, which will include witness testimonies and cross-examinations. The Senate has allocated three hours for evidence presentation and two hours for cross-examination.
After a lunch break from 1 PM to 2:30 PM, the afternoon session will resume. From 2:30 PM to 6:30 PM, the National Assembly will continue presenting evidence.
Senators will then have an hour, from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM, to ask questions or seek clarifications before the Senate adjourns for the day.
On Thursday, October 17, the Senate will reconvene at 9 AM to hear Gachagua’s defense. Three hours will be allocated for his evidence, with an additional two hours for cross-examination. After a lunch break at 1 PM, the session will resume at 2:30 PM to continue Gachagua’s evidence.
Once again, senators will have an hour for questions from 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM. The National Assembly will present its closing statement from 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM, followed by Gachagua’s closing statement from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM.
Finally, the Senate will debate the motion for Gachagua’s removal, with a vote scheduled for 8:30 PM.
