Ruto nominates Kindiki as Gachagua’s successor

By Peter Ochieng

President Wiliam Ruto on Friday morning nominated Professor Abraham Kithure Kindiki, to occupy the position of the Deputy President (DP).

If approved by Parliament, he will take over from Rigathi Gachagua who was impeached by the Senate on Thursday night.

Senators voted in support of 5 charges out of 11 to send him home. They only needed to vote for one of the charges to uphold the impeachment motion, which originated from the National Assembly.

National Assembly Speaker, Moses Wetang’ula said he received a communication from the Head of State, regarding the nomination of Kindiki.

"I have received a message from the president on the nomination of Professor Kithure Kindiki to fill the vacancy in the office of the Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya," Wetang'ula stated.

“I am satisfied that the candidate meets the requirements under Article 148, as read together with Article 137 of the Constitution, to fill the vacancy in the Office of the Deputy President. Consequently, the nomination is properly before the House for the decision required under Article 149(1) of the Constitution.”

“Article 149(1) states that upon receipt of a nomination to fill a vacancy in the Office of the Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya, the House is required to vote on the nomination.”

After the President submits the nomination to the National Assembly, the constitution states that MPs shall vote to reject or endorse the name.

Upon approval, Kindiki will formally be appointed, before being sworn in. The constitution indicates that the process has to be concluded with a period of not more than 60 days.

Until his appointment, Kindiki has been serving as the Interior Cabinet Secretary in President Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza administration.

Before then, he served as Tharaka Nithi Senator, from 2013 to 2022. Ahead of the 2022 polls, most politicians from Mt. Kenya within the Kenyan Kwanza political formation wanted him nominated as Ruto’s presidential running mate.

However, Ruto, then Deputy President, nominated Rigathi Gachagua, the former Mathira MP.