Kindiki reveals an increase in his net worth, defends police deployment to Haiti

By Peter Ochieng

Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS0 nominee Prof. Abrahm Kithure Kindiki has defended Kenyan police deployment to Haiti.

Over 200 Kenyan police are currently in the Caribbean ban nation, as part of United Nations Multinational System Support (MSS) mission against armed gangs.

Appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Appointments for vetting on Thursday, Kindiki described police deployment to Haiti as an ‘international obligation that has not affected local security’ provision mechanisms.

The former Tharaka Nithi Senator was the first to face MPs, days after being nominated by President William Ruto, about a month after dissolving his first cabinet.

He was numerously ranked as the best performing CS in the dissolved cabinet, which played a major part in President Ruto nominating him to the same position.

On his net worth, the former legislature said it had gradually increased from the Sh544 million recorded during his last vetting in 2022. He placed his current net worth at about Sh694 million. He said much of that income is from revenue from his law firm which is currently run by other people.

"First let me start by saying I have not benefited from any improper business. I have not done any business with the government. Most of the increment is because of three things, legal fees which were pending... I also do small businesses."

During his last vetting in October 2022, he said: "My net worth is Sh544 million made up of land and buildings around Sh165 million, bank deposits of about Sh50 million, investment in shares and deposits in five different saccos.”

If reappointed, Kindiki said, he would spell out designated areas for Kenyans to protest, picket and present petitions.

“It will also designate public institutions in all arms of the government to designate areas in their precincts or in the vicinity of their precincts where a group of protesters who want to demonstrate or present a petition to that public institution can assemble,” he said.

He was responding to a question by National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah, over confrontation experienced between police and protesters during demonstrations.