Cornered, Mwengi Mutuse's intense grilling during Gachagua's impeachment trial

Kibwezi East MP Mwengi Mutuse faced intense questioning from Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's legal team for nearly two hours, as he sought to substantiate the 11 charges in his impeachment motion.

The Senate hearing took place after the National Assembly presented four witnesses to testify against the Deputy President.

Mutuse, who initiated the impeachment motion, struggled to provide clear evidence and explanations for many of the allegations, leading to a tense showdown in the Senate.

Senior Counsel Paul Muite led the cross-examination, challenging the MP to prove the accusations he brought before the National Assembly.

Under scrutiny, Mutuse often faltered, unable to substantiate many of the charges. For instance, he struggled to explain how the purchase of Olive Gardens Hotel implicated the Deputy President in wrongdoing.

He also accused Gachagua of amassing wealth worth Sh5.2 billion since taking office in 2022. However, when asked to detail how his team reached this figure, Mutuse hesitated and admitted that it was an estimate based on current land values and the worth of properties linked to the DP.

Advocate Elisha Ongoya questioned the accuracy of the Sh5.2 billion figure, one of the grounds for the impeachment, pressing Mutuse for further clarification. Despite repeated attempts to avoid a direct answer, Mutuse eventually conceded that the figure was an estimation.

In another instance, Mutuse's allegations were countered with a recording of President William Ruto addressing Murang'a residents, in which he referred to them as "major shareholders" in the government.

When asked if it was Ruto speaking in the clip, Mutuse confirmed. He then struggled to justify why it would be improper for the Deputy President to echo similar sentiments, given his role as the President's principal assistant under the Constitution.

Throughout the questioning, the Kibwezi West MP appeared tense and often seemed unfamiliar with the specifics of his own motion, prompting Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua to challenge him: "Is this impeachment motion really and truly your own? I ask that question because, on all accounts, the witness is unable to prove anything."

Mutuse maintained that he had drafted and presented the motion to the National Assembly, but acknowledged that he lacked sufficient evidence for some claims.

Earlier, the National Assembly had delivered a pick-up truck full of boxes containing evidence against the Deputy President, but the grilling revealed gaps in the prosecution’s case.