Kenya senator alleges he was offered KSh 10 million to vote for Gachagua's 2024 impeachment; former deputy president asks court to act on the claim

Summary

Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo alleged on July 30 that he was offered KSh 10 million (approximately US$77,000) to vote in favour of former Kenyan Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's impeachment in the Senate in October 2024. Gachagua's lawyers asked the High Court to take the bribery admissions seriously, including earlier public statements by MPs Junet Mohamed and Jalang'o in which both acknowledged involvement in payments; Gachagua, in a Swahili aside, said the admissions were damaging themselves, "wanaongea." A Rift Valley governor also defected from President William Ruto's UDA party to Gachagua's Democratic Change Party, the latest sign of erosion in Ruto's support base ahead of the 2027 elections. The hate-speech probe against Gachagua is tracked in Kenya's hate-speech watchdog investigates former Deputy President Gachagua over 'kill the snake' remarks as opposition bloc rallies against Ruto ahead of 2027.

The split

All three original sources are Kenyan digital outlets with pro-opposition-friendly audiences; no pro-Ruto or pro-government source has yet publicly responded to the bribery allegations in the feed. The Kenyan Post's story on the governor defection, the only wire in the census, uses language friendly to Gachagua. The absence of a government or Senate official rebuttal is notable; the Kenyan Attorney General and the Senate speaker have not yet appeared in coverage.

By the numbers

• KSh 10 million, the alleged bribe offered to Senator Maanzo (roughly US$77,000)
• 3+, named individuals who have now made public statements touching on alleged bribery: Junet Mohamed, Jalang'o, and Senator Maanzo
• 1, additional UDA governor who defected to Gachagua's party this week

Why it matters

If the court treats the public admissions as evidence, Gachagua's impeachment case could be overturned, which would create a constitutional crisis over whether the 2024 vote was valid. Even without a ruling, the steady accumulation of named bribery allegations gives Gachagua's coalition a politically damaging narrative against Ruto heading into the 2027 campaign. The governor defections suggest Ruto's Mt Kenya base continues to fracture.

What to watch

• The court's response to Gachagua's application to include the bribery admissions as evidence
• Whether Senator Maanzo files a formal complaint with the Director of Public Prosecutions
• Further UDA defections to Gachagua's party before the 2027 election cycle begins
• Government or Senate-leadership rebuttals to the bribery allegations