The Senate of Kenya voted to impeach Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Thursday following a two day hearing before a full Senate that convicted him on five of 11 charges. As a result of the convictions, Gachagua will be removed from office and barred from holding public office for life. Gachagua is expected to challenge the impeachment in court.

The former deputy president was accused of breaching several articles of the Kenyan constitution. He was convicted of breaking constitutional ethics rules, undermining the independence of the judiciary and breaching his oaths of office. The senate acquitted him on charges of corruption, insubordination, undermining the police, misinforming the public, undermining the authority of the president, overstepping his authority by engaging in activities reserved for the cabinet and overstepping his jurisdiction by involving himself in the affairs of county governments. Each charge required two-thirds of senators to vote for a conviction.

Gachagua was also convicted of violating the National Cohesion and Integration Act by “incitement of ethnic division and discrimination” through a 2023 speech which suggested that government jobs would be allocated to communities that voted for his party.

Reuters reports that Gachagua was unable to attend because he was in hospital. His lawyers requested the proceedings be delayed, but the Senate denied the request. Gachagua was expected “to take the stand in his own defence as the sole witness”.

The lower house of Kenya’s Parliament, the National Assembly, voted to impeach Gachagua on all 11 charges by a margin of 282 votes for and 44 votes against on October 8th.

Gachagua was elected in 2022 on a joint ticket with President William Ruto. According to the BBC, Ruto and Gachagua have recently quarrelled and the President has “remained silent” on the impeachment of the former Deputy President.