Nyaribari Masaba Member of Parliament Daniel Manduku has revealed the Orange Democratic Movements Party (ODM) has fronted National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohamed to replace Kithure Kindiki as Interior Cabinet Secretary if the former Tharaka Nithi Senator is appointed Deputy President.
Speaking during a panel discussion on K24 alongside Kiambu Senator Karungo wa Thang'wa on Friday October 25, Manduku revealed that the Raila-led party will rally behind Mohamed but reiterated that the final decision rests with President William Ruto.
Manduku was responding to a question by the moderator who inquired if the opposition party had a person in mind amid reports that ODM is fiercely lobbying for more representation in the cabinet for supporting government policies and agendas.
"Yes, we have fronted a name, Junet Mohamed. We have just fronted the name, but it is up to the president to decide," the MP said during the talk show.
According to the Member of Parliament, Kithure Kindiki might have already sent his letter of resignation to President William Ruto following the move by the National Assembly to approve him as the next Deputy President.
"The position is vacant, resignation is a private affair, he probably wrote a resignation to the president. The resignation doesn't have to be made public," the MP claimed.
On Friday, October 18, the National Assembly approved Ruto's decision to nominate Kithure Kindiki as the next Deputy President following Rigathi Gachagua's impeachment.
This was after 236 MPs voted in favor of allowing Kindiki to take up the Deputy President post.
"Honourable members, the vote on Professor Kithure Kindiki to fill the vacancy of the Office of the Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya is as follows, abstentions are nil, no is nil and ayes are 236, the vote is overwhelming yes," Speaker Wetangula declared.
Junet Mohammed is the current National Assembly Minority Leader and the Suna East Member of Parliament.
The latest development comes even as the ODM Party continues to enjoy the benefits of backing President Ruto's broad-based government that led to the Head of State awarding Cabinet positions to the opposition party.
If Junet is nominated as Interior CS he will join four other ODM members tapped to join President William Ruto's Cabinet.
Other ODM stalwarts serving in the Cabinet include Hassan Joho (Mining), Opiyo Wandayi (Energy), John Mbadi (Treasury) and Wycliffe Oparanya (Cooperatives and MSMEs Development).
