𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐑𝐔𝐓𝐎 𝐍𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐒 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐅. 𝐊𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐔𝐑𝐄 𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐊𝐈 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐃𝐄𝐏𝐔𝐓𝐘 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐄 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐆𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐆𝐔𝐀’𝐒 𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓.

𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟖, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒
𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫

President William Samoei Ruto has nominated Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary, Prof. Kithure Kindiki , to fill the vacant position of Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya.

This nomination follows the impeachment of Rigathi Gachagua, the previous officeholder, on Thursday night.

The nomination complies with Article 149(1) of the Constitution, which mandates that the President nominates a candidate within 14 days of a vacancy in the Office of the Deputy President, and the National Assembly votes on the nomination within 60 days.

Article 149(1) specifically states: “Within 14 days after a vacancy in the Office of the Deputy President arises, the President shall nominate a person to fill the vacancy, and the National Assembly shall vote on the nomination within 60 days after receiving it.”

National Assembly Speaker Moses Masika Wetang’ula, E.G.H,MP informed the House of the President’s message regarding Prof. Kindiki’s nomination.

He cited Standing Order 52(1), stating, “This morning, I received a message from the President regarding the nomination of Prof. Kithure Kindiki to fill the vacancy in the Office of the Deputy President following the impeachment of the previous officeholder.”

The Constitution stipulates that once the President submits the nomination to the National Assembly, Members of Parliament must either endorse or reject the nominee.

Speaker Wetang’ula affirmed that Prof. Kindiki’s nomination meets the criteria outlined in Articles 148 and 137 of the Constitution.

“As you are aware,” Speaker Wetang’ula said, “for an individual to hold the Office of Deputy President, they must meet the requirements of Article 148, read together with Article 137. The President, as a prerequisite to the nomination, sought and received confirmation from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) that Prof. Kindiki is qualified to vie for elections as a Member of Parliament, in accordance with Article 137(1).”

Additionally, the President provided documentation confirming Prof. Kindiki’s qualifications, including academic certificates, identity documents, and clearances from several institutions.

These documents, submitted as part of the nomination package, included certified copies of his birth certificate, national identity card, university degrees, and other academic certificates.

The President also confirmed that Prof. Kindiki had received statutory clearances from institutions such as the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), and the Commission for University Education (CUE).

In line with Chapter Six of the Constitution, Prof. Kindiki also provided a tax compliance certificate from KRA, a certificate of good conduct from the DCI, and clearances from the Credit Reference Bureau and other relevant agencies.

Speaker Wetang’ula stated, “Having reviewed the attached documents, I am satisfied that the candidate meets the constitutional requirements under Article 148, as read together with Article 137, to fill the vacancy in the Office of the Deputy President. Therefore, the nomination is properly before the House for the necessary vote as stipulated under Article 149(1) of the Constitution.”

In light of the impending recess of the National Assembly, the Speaker announced that the House Business Committee would meet to determine the next steps in handling the nomination.

He assured MPs that they would be guided accordingly on the committee’s decision.

“I will convene a meeting of the House Business Committee immediately, after which I will guide the House on the next steps,” Speaker Wetang’ula concluded.