Kithure Kindiki has been sworn in as Kenya’s new Deputy President, after members of parliament ousted Rigathi Gachagua in a series of impeachment votes two days ago.
Gachagua’s legislative efforts to postpone the swearing-in ceremony failed on Thursday.
Kindiki, 52, a former law professor, has served as President William Ruto’s interior minister for the past two years.
The president hopes that Kindiki’s entry will end a bad chapter in Kenya’s political history.
In his speech at an event in the capital, Nairobi, Kindiki called the impeachment of his predecessor “proof of the maturity of our democracy and proof that our institutions are working”.
“I will be honest and faithful to you,” Kindiki promised Ruto.
Ruto said he was almost a “lonely voice” in the presidency in presenting his government’s development plan.
“I hope you will do what I missed two years ago,” Ruto told his new deputy.
He praised Kindiki as “a patriot who is dedicated to unity, national unity and unification of all people beyond all doubt”.
Ruto appointed Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi as acting interior minister.
The soft-spoken Kindiki was the face of the government after a deadly police crackdown on recent anti-tax protests.
The head of the security department was in charge of the protests that started in June.
More than 40 people died during the clash with the police and at least 300 others were injured, but Kindiki applauded the police for exercising self-restraint while enforcing law and order. He also denied the execution orders issued.
His stance was met with public outrage, with rights groups demanding justice for victims and people abducted under mysterious circumstances.
In his response to the protests, Kindiki downplayed his credentials as vice president and survived the assassination of ministers.
This did not surprise him as he has been an ally of the president, as he was his lawyer more than ten years ago during the trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Ruto, a former Member of Parliament, was accused of crimes against humanity over the violence that followed the 2007 election in which more than 1,200 people died.
The case was eventually dismissed due to insufficient evidence, but prosecutors argued that witnesses were intimidated.
Kindiki, like Gachagua, is from Mount Kenya region and will be able to strengthen the president’s support in that area after his impeachment.
Always well-dressed with clean, close-cropped hair, the father-of-two honed his deliberate courtroom style, but also worked at the school.
With a master’s degree and PhD from the University of Pretoria in South Africa, he has authored more than 30 books – including books and articles in peer-reviewed academic journals, locally and internationally.
He has extensive experience in public policy, governance, public administration, law making, constitutional issues and providing legal advice at various levels.
He started his political career in March 2013 when he was elected as a member of the Senate for Tharaka-Nithi constituency and served as the majority leader of the Senate for five years.
Re-elected in 2017, he continued to serve as the deputy speaker of the chamber until 2020 when he was sacked during a purge of Ruto’s allies.
When Ruto won the 2022 presidential election, he appointed Kindiki to his first cabinet.
Since then, he has represented the authorities in times of tragic events.
Last year, hundreds of bodies of people who died of starvation were discovered in a remote forest. It is said that self-proclaimed pastor Paul Mackenzie encouraged them to stop eating. He is currently on trial and denies the charges.
After the discovery of the dead bodies, Kindiki was in the area and described the incident as a “massacre”.
Last month, he was at a school where 17 students died after a dormitory fire. The minister promised “full accountability to all those whose actions or inactions have contributed to this great loss”.
In 2022, there were some who thought that Kindiki would be named as Ruto’s deputy, but Gachagua took the position as he brought great influence and wealth.
Ruto later said he “missed the chance to become deputy president by a beard”.
Kindiki is likely to prove a more reliable deputy than Gachagua and will toe the line.
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