Over the last decade, Kenya’s political scene has registered a number of dramatic impeachments involving high-profile and famous leaders.
Even though courts have overturned some of these cases, quite a number lost their careers even before completing their first terms.
Here is a look at five of such cases that sparked widespread political conversations:
Rigathi Gachagua
Rigathi Gachagua was elected to the office of Deputy President, alongside President William Ruto in 2022. He was then impeached only two years into his five-year term. Both legislative houses, the National Assembly and the Senate, charged him with upholding ethnic division and office insubordination, among others.
Although Gachagua challenged the impeachment in court, his situation remained the same. He instead chose to focus on local Mt Kenya politics.
Kawira Mwangaza
Kawira is the only politician in Kenya to have faced three impeachment motions in the first three years of her tenure. As the first female governor of Meru County, Kawira’s time in office was tough.
Although the Senate saved her twice by rejecting her impeachment in 2022 and 2023, a third motion in 2024 threw her out of office. Her impeachment was on charges of misappropriating funds and abuse of office.
Mike Sonko
Being in his third year as Governor of Nairobi County in 2020, Mike Sonko was impeached by the Nairobi County Assembly. The flashy politician was charged with neglect of service delivery and gross abuse of office.
The outspoken politician blamed the then President Uhuru Kenyatta for persecuting him without reason.
Ferdinand Waititu
Elected in 2017 as the Governor of Kiambu County, Waititu was charged over corruption issues. Accused of embezzling millions of shillings in road tenders, the extroverted governor was impeached in 2019, only two years into office.
Things intensified when he was put in prison over corruption. Formally, Waititu had been a Jubilee diehard, sparking conversations around the link between his political loyalty and his woes.
Martin Wambora
Wambora was the first Kenyan leader to be impeached under the devolved government. He faced impeachment twice in 2014 over the embezzlement of funds. Although his ouster seemed imminent, the courts rejected his impeachment cases.
Surprisingly, Wambora survived the term and went on to be re-elected in 2017, serving five years until his second term ended after the 2022 General Election.
