President William Ruto has forwarded the name of Interior Cabinet Secretary Professor Kithure Kindiki to the National Assembly whom he has chosen as his pick to replace Rigathi Gachagua who was impeached by the Senate on Thursday.
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula in today’s Parliament session announced that the CS had been nominated by President William Ruto as the new second in command.
“I have a message from the President on the nomination of Prof. Kithure Kindiki EGH. to fill the vacancy in the Office of the Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya.”
Prof Kindiki had been one of the frontrunners ever since the motion to impeach former DP Gachagua was tabled in the house by Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse.
An opinion poll by Infotrak last week showed that Kindiki was the most preferred Gachagua replacement amongst Kenyans. The poll showed at least 20 per cent of the respondents preferred the Interior CS.
Other big names tipped to replace Gachagua included; Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru, Homabay Governor Gladys Wanga, Murang'a Governor Irungu Kang'ata, Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro and even opposition leader Raila Odinga.
It is also noteworthy to note that Kindiki was also among the last two picks to be Ruto's running mate before the president settled on Gachagua.
At the time, it emerged that Gachagua won the race due to his grassroots appeal and his deep pockets despite Kindiki enjoying the support of most Mt Kenya politicians.
Prof Kindiki has on numerous occasions been ranked as the best performing Cabinet Secretary in President Ruto's administration despite the high level of criticism levelled against the current government.
A survey done by Infotrak earlier this year gave the Interior CS a B grade positioning him as the best amongst peers especially in terms of addressing issues affecting Kenyans. In the survey, the CS was ranked highly in areas of competence, service delivery and communication.
However, the CS came under criticism due to police brutality during the Gen Z demonstrations that rocked Ruto's government in June this year.
Kindiki's appointment comes when Kenya is facing uncertain political times after the historical ouster of Rigathi Gachagua.
With this new development, President Ruto faces an uphill task in convincing the Kenyan citizens of the Kenya Kwanza administration as pressure mounts on the government's ability to deliver on its manifesto.
