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Activist Fredrick Bikeri has filed an urgent application at the High Court seeking to stop the public participation process regarding the impeachment of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, citing constitutional violations.
The process was initiated following the tabling of the impeachment motion by Hon. Mutiso Eckomas of Kibwezi in the National Assembly.
Bikeri, through his lawyer Danstan Omari, argues that the decision by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula to hold public participation hearings at county headquarters violates the constitutional rights of Kenyans. According to Bikeri, the process should be conducted at the 1,450 electoral wards, which he asserts are closer and more accessible to the public.
In his affidavit, Bikeri stated,
“For such an important and monumental motion, the public participation process should be more thorough, and this can only be achieved if it is conducted at the 1,450 electoral wards, the smallest administrative units in Kenya.”
The activist claims that limiting public participation to the 47 counties would not only deny Kenyans their right to be fully involved in the process but could also result in a miscarriage of justice.
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He maintains that holding the hearings at the ward level would ensure broader and more meaningful engagement from citizens.
should be conducted at the county level, with the assistance of clerks,
“The public participation process additionally contemplates the collection of views from the constituency centers,” Wetangula said.
Bikeri, however, argues that the current approach is inadequate for a matter of such national importance and is urging the court to intervene and halt the process until the public participation format is revised to include electoral wards.
The High Court is expected to hear the activist’s application in the coming days as the pp process continues.
The impeachment motion against Deputy President Gachagua has sparked significant political debate, and the outcome of the court case could have substantial implications for how the participation is conducted in future proceedings.