Kenyan president nominates interior minister as new deputy

Kenya President William Ruto has nominated Kithure Kindiki, interior minister, as his new deputy.

This comes a day after the senate voted to impeach Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, despite a plea from Paul Muite, Gachagua’s lawyer, to postpone the proceedings.

According to Muite, Gachagua was hospitalised after falling very sick, hours before the vote was set to hold.

In total, 281 MPs voted in favour of the ouster, with 44 voting against. One MP abstained.

Moses Wetang’ula, speaker of parliament, said on Friday that the president had nominated Kindiki.

“I have received a message from the president, regarding the nomination of Professor Kithure Kindiki to fill the vacancy which has occurred in the office,” he said.

Kindiki, a close ally of Ruto, has held the interior ministry post throughout Ruto’s two years as president.

He previously served as senator for Tharaka Nithi County and was a top contender to be Ruto’s running mate during the 2022 election.

Parliament will have to vote to approve Kindiki’s appointment before he is sworn in.

Gachagua, who faced 11 charges, was impeached on five counts.

The charges include ground one of shareholding, ground four of undermining the independence of judges, ground five of the National Cohesion and Integrity Act 4, ground six of crimes under the National Cohesion Act, and ground nine of gross misconduct (public attacks on the national security intelligence service).

The impeached deputy president has repeatedly insisted that the proceedings were a “political witch hunt” and vowed to defend himself.