NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 1 — Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has pledged to do his best in his new role, assuring President William Ruto that he will not let him down.
Kindiki, who assumed office on Friday, replacing Rigathi Gachagua who was impeached on October 17, pledged to follow Ruto’s lead in executing his mandate.
Addressing Kenyans shortly after his swearing-in, Kindiki promised to support his boss in achieving a more transformed Kenya.
“I have been your political student for nearly 20 years, and nothing has taught me more than the years I have walked and served alongside you in various capacities,” Kindiki said.
He also committed to serving under Ruto and providing the assistance and support needed to advance the country.
Kindiki thanked all the institutions that facilitated the process leading to his assumption of office, noting that recent events in the country “are a testament to our maturity and the strength of our systems.”
He expressed gratitude to President Ruto for choosing him as his deputy.
“I affirm that throughout my journey culminating in this moment, I have come to believe that Kenya is a country of possibilities,” Kindiki said.
“For someone like me to stand here and take the oath of the office of Deputy President can only happen in Kenya.”
Humility and simplicity
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi stated that Kindiki’s swearing-in as Deputy President shows that Kenya’s systems work.
“In Professor Kindiki, we see many virtues. But I want to single out the virtue of humility and simplicity,” Mudavadi said.
“If, as a nation, we embrace humility, we can go very far. But if we disregard humility, it will be very costly,” he added.
Chief Justice Martha Koome witnessed Kindiki’s swearing-in administered by the Chief Registrar of the Judiciary Winfrida Mokaya.
The official ceremony began at 10:42 a.m., when the Judiciary mace was placed in the swearing-in arena at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi.
Kindiki, accompanied by his wife, Dr. Joyce Kithure, took the oath of allegiance.
Also present were the Speakers of the National Assembly and the Senate, Moses Wetangula and Amason Kingi, along with other political leaders.
Cabinet Secretaries, led by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, were in attendance, along with members of the diplomatic corps.
Justices Eric Ogola, Anthony Mrima, and Dr. Freda Mugambi had cleared the way for Kindiki after ruling on Thursday that a prolonged vacancy in the Office of the Deputy President would contravene sections of the Constitution, which would be against public interest.
A Kerugoya court had issued a conservatory order blocking Kindiki’s swearing-in on October 18, shortly after President Ruto nominated him to replace Gachagua.
The judges noted that extending the conservatory orders would leave the office vacant, as the orders did not imply Gachagua’s reinstatement as Deputy President.
Source: capitalfm
