Allies of Kenyan President William Ruto launched a motion in parliament on Tuesday to impeach Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, accusing him of stirring ethnic hatred and undermining the government.

An apparent rift between Ruto and Gachagua has spilt into the open in recent days. Gachagua says he has been sidelined and has denied accusations by Ruto allies that he was behind violent anti-government protests earlier this year.

Ruto has not commented publicly on the impeachment drive and his spokesperson could not be immediately reached. Gachagua's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Hailing from the populous Mount Kenya region, Gachagua helped mobilise a large voting bloc that helped Ruto win the 2022 election.

But the deputy president has become less influential since Ruto nominated members of the main opposition coalition to his government after protests in June and July against planned tax hikes in which more than 50 people were killed.

Around 83% of the 349 lawmakers in the National Assembly signed the motion presented by Mwengi Mutuse, a member of parliament from Ruto's coalition, far exceeding the one-third required to vote on it.

If the motion is passed by two-thirds of the lower house, the senate will hear the charges and may appoint a special committee to investigate them, where Gachagua or his representative can respond to the allegations.

If at least two-thirds of the senate vote to uphold the impeachment, Gachagua will be dismissed.

"A special motion before the House presents an unprecedented constitutional moment in our democracy," said parliamentary speaker Moses Wetang'ula, adding that the lower chamber would conduct a program of public participation in the impeachment process on Friday.

Gachagua will be invited to parliament to respond to the charges on October 8, Wetang'ula said.

As well as accusing Gachagua of stoking ethnic animosities, the motion also says he undermined the government by contradicting Ruto in public.

Gachagua outraged many in Ruto's coalition for likening the government to a company on several occasions and suggesting that those who voted for the coalition had first claim on public sector jobs and development projects.

"The curse of Africa has always been tribalism and corruption," Labour Minister Alfred Mutua said on X. "This motion ... is not about politics but about saving Kenya's soul."

But Macharia Munene, a professor at the United States International University in Nairobi, said the government was looking to distract from its own failings.

"The best way to divert attention from these crises is to create a crisis in the name of having to fix the deputy president," Munene told Reuters.