Wiper Party leader and former Vice president Kalonzo Musyoka declared the National Assembly unconstitutional. In an interview with Citizen TV, Kalonzo made the bold statement, saying parliament is unfit to take a case against the impeachment of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
Musyoka said that from the protests of June 2024, the National Assembly lost its legitimacy. “The parliament was impeached by the people,” he said, referring to the massive protests that engulfed the nation earlier in the year. The Gen Z-led protests had sent thousands of young Kenyans into the streets, demanding accountability and change from the government.
These demonstrations were fired by frustrations over the high cost of living, unemployment among the youth, and political instability. The protesters accused the government of corruption and failing in its duty to meet the needs of the younger generation. The movement gained momentum after President William Ruto’s administration introduced controversial economic reforms, which many saw as unfair to the common citizen.
Veteran politician Kalonzo Musyoka, a former vice president, has been among those consistently in support of the youth-led protests on grounds that the current government does not reflect the will of the people. “This parliament cannot act on behalf of Kenyans when it was already rejected by the masses,” he said. Musyoka assures that any step by the National Assembly to impeach Deputy President Gachagua is illegitimate.
He has been criticized from many quarters for alleged misconduct and mismanagement. Calls for his impeachment have grown in recent months as opposition leaders cite that his actions undermine democracy and the rule of law. However, Musyoka says the National Assembly is not in a position to do an impeachment of that nature. “How can they impeach him when they themselves are unfit to govern?” he wondered during the interview.
It is the protests that have terribly been marred by increased clashes between protesters and police that Musyoka is referring to now. To many young Kenyans, the protests symbolize all their struggles for a more just and fair society.
