NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 18 – President William Ruto’s nominee for the Deputy President position, Kithure Kindiki, is now just steps away from becoming the country’s third Deputy President.
Kindiki now awaits formal appointment by President Ruto and will take the oath of office before assuming the second most powerful role in the country.
The National Assembly approved Kindiki’s nomination on Friday with 236 MPs in present in the House unanimously endorsing him in a roll-call vote.
“The nomination is passed by the house and the Speaker will transmit the same to the appointing authority who is the President,” House Speaker Moses Wetangula declared.
“The Speaker will also sign a gazette notice to this effect that the nominee,the Deputy President has been duly voted by the house.”
Swearing
The Interior Cabinet Secretary is expected to resign from one of the most influential roles in the Cabinet before taking over as second in command following Rigathi Gachagua’s impeachment.
The law requires Chief Registrar of the Judiciary, Winfrida Boyani, to administer the oath of office to the Deputy President designate in the presence of Chief Justice Martha Koome or the Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu.
Gachagua made history as the first Deputy President to be impeached under Kenya’s 2010 Constitution after Senate approved his impeachment on Thursday.
The 59-year-old politician, popularly known as “Riggy G,” was convicted by the Senate, which upheld five out of eleven charges against him, brought forward by Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse.
Kindiki, a soft-spoken lawyer and former Tharaka Nithi Senator, will step into the role of Deputy President amid an anticipated legal dispute to challenge Gachagua’s removal.
Analysts had anticipated that the position would remain within the Mount Kenya region, a crucial base for President Ruto in the 2022 election.
The President’s choice is seen as a move to maintain stability and avoid further discontent in the region following Gachagua’s impeachment.
Kindiki makes history as the first politician from Mount Kenya East to ascend to the second-highest office in the government.
Key ally
Ruto had considered the law Professor for the role in 2022 when an Electoral College settled on him but President Ruto vetoed the decision amid a looming revolt in Nyeri.
Kindiki is a key ally of the President having been his Chief Presidential Agent in 2022. He served as Senate Majority Leader between 2013 and 2017, before being elected Deputy Speaker after the 2017 General Election.
However, in 2020, he was ousted from his position in the Senate after siding with Ruto during the Jubilee Party’s internal power struggles.
Upon Ruto’s victory in the 2022 general election, Kindiki was appointed Interior Cabinet Secretary.
Born on July 16, 1972, Kindiki’s legal career began after earning his Bachelor of Laws from Moi University.
He later pursued a Master’s and PhD in International Law from the University of Pretoria, South Africa.
He is also an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and has worked with international organizations, including the United Nations and the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Kindiki’s academic career includes teaching law at Moi University and the University of Nairobi, where he rose to become the Head of Public Law and Associate Dean.
He has authored several publications and consulted for global organizations on issues related to forced migration, international law, and governance.
President Ruto’s decision to appoint Kindiki is viewed as a strategic move to stabilize his administration after Gachagua’s impeachment and the recent reshuffling of his Cabinet.
Despite opposition and public outcry, Ruto retained Kindiki as Interior CS after a mass Cabinet overhaul, highlighting his trust in Kindiki’s ability to deliver results in managing the country’s security.
Source: capitalfm
