Nairobi — Events leading to the emergence of Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki as Deputy President following the impeachment of Rigathi Gachagua reveal intense lobbying behind the scene.
President William Ruto settled on Kindiki following a rigorous selection exercise among six nominees who were shortlisted for the list.
The High Court has suspended Kindiki's swearing-in until it hears a case questioning Gachagua's removal from office. Gachagua was removed from office after he was impeached in a historic vote last week.
Gachagua becomes the first deputy president to be removed from office in this way since impeachment was introduced in Kenya's 2010 constitution.
Disclosed details indicate that Kindiki emerged top by beating candidates including Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi,Majority Leader Kimani Ichungwa Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru, Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire and Murangá Governor Irungu Kangáta.
Shortlisting Candidates
Several agencies including the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, Registrar of Political Parties, Commission of University Education verified critical details of the shortlisted candidates to inform the final decision of the President.
Integral requirements of the candidate required one to be a registered voter, qualified to stand for election as a member of Parliament and must be a Kenyan citizen by birth.
He or she must also must also be a holder of a degree from a University recognized in Kenya and must not owe allegiance to a foreign state.
Revelations show that following this exercise, President Ruto narrowed the list to three with several factors including track record, loyalty and political landscape is said to have informed his decision on Kindiki.
Sources privy to the exercise indicated that Kindiki emerged first, Ichungwa was listed second while Mbarire emerged third on the list.
"If you look at the list,the three leaders are from one political region and this is because the President was keen not to disgruntle the mountain following Gachagua's impeachment.Kindiki made it at the top due his loyalty to Ruto for almost two decades now and his track record delivery," Ruto's key ally said.
Kindiki's selection was not a surprise as he had long been a close ally of the president, when he was an MP,facing a court case before the International Criminal Court (ICC).
He served as his lawyer more than a decade ago during the case where Ruto was accused of crimes against humanity over the violence that followed the 2007 election in which more than 1,200 people died.
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With a master's degree and a PhD from the University of Pretoria in South Africa, he has authored more than 30 publications - including books and articles in academic peer-reviewed journals, both locally and internationally.
He has vast experience in public policy, governance, public administration, law-making, constitutional affairs and giving legal advice at various levels.
He began his political career in March 2013 when he was elected senator for Tharaka-Nithi county and served as the Senate majority leader for five years.
Re-elected in 2017, he went on to serve as the chamber's deputy speaker until 2020 when he was sacked in a purge of Ruto's allies.
When Ruto won the 2022 presidential election, he appointed Kindiki to his first cabinet.
