NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 24 – Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has vowed to defend his right to contest the presidency in the 2027 General Election, maintaining that his impeachment does not automatically bar him from seeking elective office while his legal challenges remain pending.

📻 Breaking It Down

Gachagua spoke as opposition parties gathered at a Windsor event to sign a unity pledge ahead of the 2027 elections, with DCP Deputy Leader Clephas Malala attending in his place.

The development underscored a growing tension between Gachagua’s insistence on preserving his presidential ambitions and efforts by opposition parties to forge a common front against President William Ruto.

Gachagua said he would pursue his case through the Court of Appeal and, if necessary, the Supreme Court, maintaining that the Constitution requires all available legal remedies to be exhausted before an individual facing integrity-related questions can be disqualified from running for office.

📌 What You Need to Know

“Let nobody tell you that because I was removed from office, I cannot run,” Gachagua said on Monday, arguing that the relevant provisions of the Constitution must be read together.

The Democracy for Citizens Party leader was speaking as he defended his presidential ambitions while intensifying his opposition to President William Ruto and positioning himself as a potential candidate in the 2027 race.

His remarks come days after he filed an appeal challenging the High Court judgment that upheld his impeachment while finding that his right to a fair hearing had been violated during the Senate proceedings.

The High Court, in a June 8 judgment, upheld the impeachment but awarded Gachagua Sh50 million in constitutional damages after finding that the Senate had infringed his fair hearing rights by proceeding without granting him an adjournment while he was unwell.

The former Deputy President has now taken the fight to the Court of Appeal, arguing that the finding of a constitutional violation should have had consequences for the validity of his removal from office.

Gachagua said he was confident the appellate court would overturn what he described as an “absurd” outcome in which the High Court found that his rights had been violated but allowed the outcome of the process to stand.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya