In a twist of fate that has left many Kenyans baffled, President William Ruto has nominated Prof. Kithure Kindiki, a minister in his government and a close ally, to replace dethroned Deputy President, Rigathi Gachagua.
The announcement was made on Friday morning by National Assembly Speaker, Moses Wetangula, barely a dozen hours after the county’s Senate voted to uphold the 8th October impeachment of the Deputy President by the country Parliament.
The Senate, sitting long hours late into the night on 17th October, voted to impeach Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua following a two-day process that involved extensive evidence and hours of cross-examination. Gachagua was removed after Senators supported five of the eleven grounds presented for his impeachment key among them gross violation of the Constitution.
“Pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 42(1), I wish to report to the House that today morning I have received a message from the President regarding the nomination of Kithure Kindiki to fill the vacancy which has occurred in the Office of the Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya following the impeachment of the previous office holder,” Mr Wetangula announced.
Prof. Kindiki is currently serving as Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration. He will require approval from the National Assembly before assuming the role of Deputy President. According to the law, the Assembly should vote on the nomination within 60 days of nomination.
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Once approved, the nominee will be formally appointed by the President as his deputy. Although the Constitution does not specify a timeframe for this appointment, it is expected to occur immediately after Parliament’s confirmation.
Who is Kithure Kindiki?
Born 52 years ago in Irunduni village, Tharaka Nithi County, Kindiki attended Irunduni Primary School, then Lenana School, before earning a law degree from the University of Nairobi. He later obtained a Master’s degree and a PhD from the University of Pretoria. Returning to academia, he taught law at Moi and Nairobi universities and occasionally served as a visiting lecturer abroad.
Kindiki entered public service in 2008 when he was appointed Secretary for the National Cohesion and Reconciliation outfit by the late President Mwai Kibaki. He resigned after three months, citing a lack of political will to resettle victims of the 2007 post-election violence.
He gained national prominence when Ruto appointed him to his legal team during the International Criminal Court (ICC) trial for crimes against humanity. Leveraging this visibility, Kindiki transitioned to politics, successfully contesting the Senate seat for Tharaka Nithi in 2013 under the TNA party.
He was elected on his first attempt and served two terms, rising to the position of Deputy Speaker during his second term. However, as tensions grew between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President Ruto, Kindiki faced challenges in the Senate and was eventually impeached.
He has since served as Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration in President Ruto’s first and reconstructed Cabinet.
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