Kenyan parliamentarians have overwhelmingly voted to remove the vice president from office over corruption allegations.
Lawmakers also accuse Ligati Gachagua of practicing ethnic divisive politics and weakening the government.
Mr Gachagua denies any wrongdoing following his latest clash with President William Ruto.
On Tuesday night, Speaker Moses Wetangula announced that 281 MPs had adopted 11 impeachment motions, with 44 voting against and one abstaining.
This means Gachagua is the first Kenyan vice president to be impeached by Parliament, and it will be up to the Senate to decide whether he should be removed from office.
He is accused of obtaining property by corrupt means. The vice president was a wealthy businessman, and said that most of his house and land belonged to his late brother.
However, on Tuesday, a number of Kenyan MPs took to the floor to tarnish President Ruto’s reputation and show that they are on his side in this ranks at the top of government.
The political theater has left many dissatisfied Kenyans struggling to cope with the high cost of living and their demands have been taken out of focus.
The 59-year-old politician, widely known as “Riggy G”, called the allegations against him “outrageous” and “pure propaganda”.
Political tensions have been high in the East African country since June, when deadly demonstrations erupted over unpopular tax hikes, revealing deep rifts between Ruto and Gachagua. It became.
Following anti-tax demonstrations that left more than 50 people dead, Ruto dismissed most of his cabinet ministers and invited lawmakers from the main opposition party.
Last month, several MPs who supported Gachagua were summoned by police for allegedly funding protests, but no charges were laid.
Security has been tightened in the capital Nairobi ahead of the vote, with police patrolling and major roads leading to parliament closed to traffic.
According to local media, about 20 lawyers have been hired to defend Gachagua against the impeachment charges.
Last week, a total of 291 members of Congress signed a motion to begin impeachment proceedings, more than the 117 required by the constitution.
Mr. Gachagua has failed in numerous court bids to block ongoing litigation.
In a televised address on Monday, he criticized MP Mwengi Mutuse, who drafted the motion, calling it “shameful and sensational”.
The motion lists 11 grounds for impeachment, including accusations that Gachagua amassed 5.2 billion Kenyan shillings ($40 million, £31 million) worth of unused wealth over two years.
“I am innocent of all these charges,” Gachagua said.
“I have no intention of quitting this job. I will fight until the end.”
He defended the controversial renovation of the official residence in the capital.
The constitution stipulates that when members of the Diet make important decisions, they must first listen to the opinions of the people.
The Congressional report said more than 200,000 responses were received as part of that process, with 65% supporting Gachagua’s impeachment and nearly 34% opposed.
On Sunday, Mr Gachagua appealed to Mr Ruto and members of parliament to forgive him for any wrongdoings during his term. He later clarified that his apology was not an admission of guilt.
Ruto has yet to publicly comment on the impeachment motion, but he is on record as saying early in his presidency that he had no intention of publicly humiliating the vice president.
Gachagua, a wealthy businessman from the vote-rich Mount Kenya region, has battled past corruption scandals to become Ruto’s running mate in a closely contested August 2022 election.
He is from the Kikuyu community, the country’s largest ethnic group, while President Ruto is a Kalenjin, an ethnic group that primarily lives in the Rift Valley.
After the 2007 elections, the two communities were at odds, sparking ethnic violence that left 1,200 people dead across the country.
In 1989, then Vice President Josefat Karanca resigned in the face of a similar motion.
