President William Ruto has nominated Kithure Kindiki, the current Interior Cabinet Secretary, as Kenya’s new Deputy President following the impeachment of Rigathi Gachagua.
The announcement was made by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, who confirmed that Kindiki’s name has been submitted for parliamentary approval.
If endorsed, Kindiki will be sworn in to fill the vacancy left by Gachagua, marking a significant political shift in Kenya’s leadership.
Who is Kithure Kindiki?
Kindiki originates from the village of Irunduni, located in Tharaka Constituency.
He is an advocate qualified to practice in the High Court and the International Criminal Court (ICC).
He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Law (LLB) from Moi University and a Diploma in Legal Studies from the Kenya School of Law.
Additionally, Kindiki possesses a Master’s degree in International Human Rights Law & Democracy and a PhD in International Law, both awarded by the University of Pretoria in South Africa.
Between 2000 and 2003, he served as a lecturer at Moi University, subsequently taking on the role of Senior Lecturer and Head of the Department of Public Law at the University of Nairobi from 2003 to 2005.
A graduate of Irunduni Primary School and Lenana High School, he advanced to become an Associate Dean at the School of Law within the same university.
As the fifth child in a family of nine, he also held the position of Secretary of National Cohesion in the Justice Ministry during President Mwai Kibaki’s administration.
He would step down from his position after a brief tenure of just 100 days in order to return to his teaching profession.
Kindiki was initially elected in 2013 and subsequently re-elected in 2017 as the senator representing Tharaka Nithi County.
He held the role of Senate Majority Leader during the 2013–2017 term and served as the Deputy Speaker of the Senate from August 2017 until 2020.
A prominent scholar in the field of International Human Rights Law, Kindiki has provided consultancy services to both local and international organizations, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), among others.
He is affiliated with several professional bodies, including the Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS), the International Association on the Study of Forced Migration (IASFM), the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), and the International Commission of Jurists, Kenya Chapter (ICJ-K).
His prominence increased in 2012 when he represented William Ruto at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in a case concerning crimes against humanity.
