Deputy President nominee Prof Kithure Kindiki is a man to
watch as he inches a step closer to achieving a dream that stopped in 2022.
He was one of the two persons Ruto was set to pick as his
running mate following a rigorous vetting process, in 2022.
In the run-up to the 2022 general election, MPs from Mt
Kenya allied to then UDA presidential aspirant William Ruto recommended to him
the person who would be his running mate.
The selection committee favoured the current Interior and
National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki. At the time, he was
the outgoing Senator of Tharaka Nithi County.
Some of the reasons cited for picking him were his loyalty,
temperament, experience, and public record.
However, Ruto ultimately settled on Rigathi Gachagua who was
a first-term MP for Mathira, as his running mate.
After he won the presidency, Ruto appointed Kindiki the
Interior and National Administration CS.
With the impeachment of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua,
that missed opportunity to become the country’s second-in-command has once
again knocked on his door.
President William Ruto has nominated him to be Kenya’s third
Deputy President, under the Constitution of Kenya, 2010.
His name has also been forwarded to the National Assembly, which is expected to debate and vote to approve his ascent to the position.
This comes even as other names had been thrown into the ring
including Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, Kirinyaga Governor Anne
Waiguru, her Murang’a counterpart Irungu Kang’ ata and National Assembly
Majority leader Kimani Ichung’wah, among others.
Before this role, he served as the Senator for Tharaka Nithi
County, Majority Leader and Deputy Speaker of the Senate between 2013 and 2022,
before he announced his exit from elective politics.
This decision was at the request of Ruto who asked him to
drop his gubernatorial bid for Tharaka Nithi county.
He would later on help draft the Kenya Kwanza coalition’s
power-sharing agreement, as Ruto looked for allies to strengthen his position
to win the presidency.
On July 11, 2024, President William Ruto dismissed his
entire Cabinet save for Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.
In his reconstitution, over half of the Cabinet was dismissed while the other half was reappointed by with new responsibilities.
Kindiki, however, remained in the Interior and National Administration Ministry.
According to analysts, this was a show of the confidence the Head of State has in Kindiki’s leadership.
The Interior Ministry forms the core of government and is responsible for maintaining internal security, overseeing National registration services, as well as managing immigration policies and coordinating National Government functions.
It also manages the Kenya prisons and probation services.
During his time here, the President tasked Kindiki with overseeing emergency service operations when tragedy hit the country, especially during flooding.
He also oversaw operations in ensuring security in bandit and terror-prone areas in the country.
Prior to joining politics, Kindiki had an illustrious public service career academia, spanning over 11 years.
During this time, he rose from assistant lecturer in law to a full fledge lecturer.
At the time of leaving the field of academia, Kindiki was Dean School of Law at the University of Nairobi.