All meat with no bone to stand on. That was the conclusion of most Kenyans watching Wednesday night’s Deputy President impeachment trial at the Senate.
Mover of the motion, Kibwezi MP Mwenge Mutuse, was the star witness.
Questioned for close to 2 hours, Mutuse was unable to provide evidence for basically all his accusations. DP Rigathi Gachagua is on trial on 11 different counts.
First questioned by his own lawyer, Mutuse laid out his accusations, one by one, explaining how Rigathi has amassed unexplained wealth in just 2 years.
But when it came time for the defense counsel to question the witness, it was clear that most, if not all of the allegations were designed to generate headlines.
Mutuse did not provide any evidence that the DP owned any of the hotels/properties he had claimed he did. In fact, even Mutuse’s own documents supported Gachagua’s argument that the properties were owned by the estate of his late brother.
Advocate Elisha Ongoya systematically dismantled the allegations one by one, a task that was made easier by Mutuse’s admission that most of the companies listed in the motion were not accused of committing any crimes.
The MP could not explain why they included them if they ‘had no problem with them’.
There was also some comical relief when Mutuse was made to acknowledge that the government is indeed made up of ‘shareholders’, a word that the Kibwezi MP briefly struggled to get out of his mouth.
As expected, Kenyans were not impressed with Mutuse’s testimony.
Here are some of the best reactions from X.
Lawyers interning at Mutuse's law firm watching this pic.twitter.com/1c8qgAuAK3
— timothymathai (@timothymathai) October 16, 2024
Mutuse reading the documents in Senate pic.twitter.com/ugSsJ14Lhb
— Solange Mbunde (@ianmbunde) October 16, 2024
Ongonya: 'True or false'
— Karani Mutonga (@Karanimutonga) October 16, 2024
Mutuse: pic.twitter.com/welxitwzyR
Lawyer: Are you with us?
— Brian Mbunde β’ (@Brianmbunde) October 16, 2024
Mutuse: Yes, I am with us
pic.twitter.com/ZM8UOSzrh2
Mutuse: I would imagine so.
— Sun Tzu (@ItsChanzu) October 16, 2024
Ongoya: You want Senators to impeach the DP on the basis of your Imagination?
cut the cameras broπππ pic.twitter.com/axY2cNurjK
Mutuse after that cross examination by legal counsel Elisha Ongaya πππ pic.twitter.com/JUJis2dPCh
— JOPANGA π°πͺ (@jopangaa) October 16, 2024
Sisi kama wakamba, weβve disowned Mutuse. Kikuyus , you can have the guyβ¦
— Stephen Musyoka (@smusyoka) October 16, 2024
This is now content
— Omwamba π°πͺ (@omwambaKE) October 16, 2024
Njugush has Nailed Mwengi Mutuse.
THIS SHOULD BE TRENDING π pic.twitter.com/sWv3WwjVct
Mutuse right now π€£ pic.twitter.com/nuZR7Ydafb
— Habibiz (@manlikesaiya) October 16, 2024
βAki Mutuse si useme ilukuwa jokesβ?πππ pic.twitter.com/6pjg6CTD2x
— Lynn Ngugi (@lynn_ngugi1) October 16, 2024
At this point Mutuseβs only option is to faint. pic.twitter.com/qOKSQzdi4m
— Saddam (@Saddam_KE) October 16, 2024
Scenes in Statehouse
— Yoko (@Kibet_bull) October 16, 2024
"Piga magoti uombee Mutuse, amelemewa" pic.twitter.com/Y0EY7Y780R
Mutuse is sample size of our parliamentarians
— Dr Andrew Suleh MD (@andrewsuleh) October 16, 2024
Ama Mutuse ni short form ya Mutusenseless?
— Mubabaddie. βΆπ (@BrianMutuma_) October 16, 2024
"Hello, Faruk si walisema Mutuse ni Lawyer? Mbona ako na akili ya Oscar Sudi?" pic.twitter.com/TpQ442JSYF
— Queen B (@LizQueenB_) October 16, 2024
Macharia: "show me where tribe, ethnic or kabila appears"
— Kyallo (@PresKyallo) October 16, 2024
Mutuse pic.twitter.com/E0BtWb7L2w
Hon Mutuse is the one being impeached?
— COmbeta (@OmbetaC) October 16, 2024
Mambo imebadilika. pic.twitter.com/J6v4IC4nTx
Elisha Ongoya :Mutuse are you with us?
— Omwamba π°πͺ (@omwambaKE) October 17, 2024
Mwengi Mutuse: Yes I am with us pic.twitter.com/IC1DK47NBP
Kumbavu zangu, Mutuse mimi, about to hit like crack ππ
— dennis ombachi OLY (@ombachi13) October 16, 2024