By Brian Oruta, NAIROBI Kenya
President of Kenya, William Ruto, has nominated Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki as the next Deputy President following the impeachment of Rigathi Gachagua Thursday night.
Kindiki's name has been
submitted to the National Assembly where MPs are expected to vote on it.
Speaker Moses Wetang'ula
announced the appointment in a special Sitting convened on Friday.
"I have received a
message from the president on the nomination of Professor Kithure Kindiki to
fill the vacancy in the office of the Deputy President of the Republic of
Kenya," Wetang'ula announced.
The Constitution says that
once the president submits the nomination to the National Assembly, MPs shall
vote to reject or endorse the name. There is also no requirement for a
two-thirds majority.
He will then be sworn into
office after being approved.
Kindiki has been serving as
the Interior CS for about two years.
He previously served as the Senator for Tharaka Nithi
County for two terms (10 years).
In the run-up to the 2022 general elections, Kindiki
was among the favourites to become Ruto’s running mate, but he eventually
settled on Gachagua.
He would later on explain that he picked Gachagua
because of his age and he thought they would understand each other better.
At the start of Gachagua’s impeachment, there was talk
of Kindiki being the next in line to replace him on many quotas.
Opinion leaders and polls also placed Kindiki as the
favourite choice for Deputy President in case Gachagua’s ouster was successful.
Kindiki also received endorsement from at least 69
elected leaders from the larger Mt Kenya region to be their link with the Kenya
Kwanza administration.
Endorsements also came from the Members of County
Assemblies and the youth among others.
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