President William Ruto has put forward the nomination of Prof. Kithure Kindiki is set to succeed former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who was impeached by Parliament.
Prof. Kindiki, who is currently serving as the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration, will need approval from the National Assembly before taking on the role of Deputy President. The assembly must cast its vote on the nomination within 60 days of receiving the name.
Once approved, the nominee will be officially appointed by the president as his deputy. Although the constitution does not define a specific timeframe for this appointment, it is anticipated to take place promptly following parliament’s approval.
Born 52 years ago in Irunduni village, Tharaka Nithi County, Kindiki attended Irunduni Primary School, followed by Lenana School, and later obtained a law degree from the University of Nairobi. He later earned 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 insufficient political will to resettle victims of the 2007 post-election violence.
He rose to 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 entered 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, ultimately advancing to the position of Deputy Speaker during his second term. However, as tensions escalated between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President Ruto, Kindiki encountered challenges in the Senate and was ultimately impeached.
He has since taken on the role of Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration in President Ruto’s initial and restructured cabinet.
The Senate voted to impeach Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua following a two-day process that included extensive evidence and hours of cross-examination.
Gachagua was removed after Senators endorsed five of the eleven grounds presented for his impeachment, notably including gross violation of the Constitution.
