NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 20 – Rigathi Gachagua has said he was rushed to Karen Hospital on Thursday afternoon on the instructions of Dr. Dan Gikonyo after experiencing chest pains.
Gachagua made the revelations on Sunday afternoon after being discharged from Karen Hospital, where he was admitted on Thursday after failing to appear before the Senate for cross-examination.
“Had I been late by another twenty minutes, we would be talking about a different story,” he said.
Gachagua confirmed that he is now in stable condition and that the doctor has approved his discharge.
The news confrence marked Gachagua’s first public appareance since his unprecedented non-appearance in Senate.
On Thursday, the final day of his trial, Gachagua was due for cross-examination but his lawyers told the House they could not trace him after a lunch break. The lawyers subsequently told Senate they had learnt he was taken ill.
In the morning, he wished Kenyans a Happy Mashujaa Day ahead of the celebrations.
Senate trial
Gachagua faced eleven charges, all of which he denied when the trial began on Wednesday. Ultimately, senators upheld five of the charges against him.
His lawyers requested a postponement until October 22, 2024, but the Senate opted to proceed, prompting protests from Gachagua’s legal team as they prepared to file a legal challenge.
Lead counsel Paul Muite insisted that Gachagua had not chosen to skip the proceedings but was incapacitated by an illness, urging the Senate to act fairly.
Senate however voted to continue with the trial, prompting Muite to lead a walkout of Gachagua’s legal team citing the absence of further instructions from their client.
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi subsequently gazetted the resolution to impeach Gachagua with National Assembly consequently voting to approve Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki’s nomination to the position.
Thereafter, Patrick Mwangi, Principal Administrative Secretary in the Office of the Deputy President (ODP), directed staff on contract to proceed on compulsory leave, along with senior advisors.
By Mitchelle Tabitha
