By Abiola Olawale
Kenyan President William Ruto on Friday announced the nomination of his interior minister, Kithuri Kindiki, as deputy to replace Rigathi Gachagua, who was sacked in a historic impeachment.
Ruto sent the nomination of Kindiki, a 52-year-old academic turned political heavyweight, to the National Assembly on Friday.
Speaker Moses Wetangula announced Ruto’s choice of Kindiki, asking parliamentarians to move ahead with the vote to confirm the appointment.
Kindiki has served as interior minister in Ruto’s government for more than two years but came under fire over alleged police brutality during the sometimes deadly anti-government protests that rocked Kenya earlier this year.
Kindiki, born 17 July 1972 is a Kenyan politician and lawyer who is the former Cabinet Secretary of Interior and Administration of National Government.
He represented Tharaka-Nithi County in the Kenyan Senate from 2013 until 2022.
It would be recalled that a total of 281 MPs voted in favour of the impeachment of Gachagua, while 44 MPs voted against it. One MP abstained from voting.
During a tense session on Thursday, the Senate found Gachagua guilty on five out of the 11 charges levelled against him.
The charges included involvement in corruption, money laundering, insubordination, ethnic divisiveness, and undermining the government of the Republic of Kenya.
The 59-year-old deputy president’s impeachment follows a similar vote by the National Assembly last week, where the motion to remove him from office was overwhelmingly passed.
Gachagua, who has consistently denied the accusations, was unable to testify in his defence after being hospitalized with severe chest pains. Despite his absence, the Senate proceeded with the vote.
The impeachment process unfolded amidst a backdrop of intense political scrutiny and public discourse in Kenya.
It would be recalled that in June, amid the deadly protest that broke out in Kenya, Gachagua had blamed the head of the intelligence agency for not properly briefing President William Ruto and the government over the magnitude of mass protests against unpopular tax hikes.
Gachagua had attributed the violence and unrest to alleged intelligence shortcomings from the head of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), Noordin Haji.
It would be recalled that Kenya suffered a deadly crisis after the ruling Kenya Kwanza coalition failed to heed calls to reject the controversial 2024 Finance Bill.
Several youths took to the streets to protest a clause inserted in the Finance Bill which seeks to raise revenues through taxes.
