Kenya’s president nominates interior minister as new deputy

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya’s president on Friday nominated the country’s interior minister as his new deputy, hours after Rigathi Gachagua was overwhelmingly voted out as deputy president in an impeachment motion tabled in parliament over allegations of corruption and ethnic division.

President William Ruto on Friday named Kithure Kindiki to the National Assembly after Gachagua was impeached while he was in the hospital.

Kindiki had been a frontrunner for deputy president during the 2022 elections campaign. Like Gachagua, he hails from the vote-rich central region.

Gachagua remains hospitalized with what his lawyer described as “intense chest pains” related to stress. He is expected to fight his impeachment in court.

“I have received a message from his excellency the president, regarding the nomination of Professor Kithure Kindiki to fill the vacancy which has occurred in the office of the deputy president,” Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula said.

The Assembly is expected to vote to approve the nomination of Kindiki.

The former deputy president’s supporters have criticized the impeachment process as rushed after senators voted against allowing additional days to give Gachagua time to recover and appear before the senate.

His impeachment highlighted divisions within the ruling party and friction between Ruto and Gachagua over government policy. The former deputy president had been accused of insubordination when he opposed the government’s policy of forced evictions during heavy rains that caused flooding and deaths.

During his defense before the Assembly last week, Gachagua said he believed the impeachment motion had the president’s nod, and he has asked legislators to make their decision “without intimidation and coercion.” Ruto has not commented publicly on the impeachment.

Ruto, who came to office claiming to represent Kenya’s poorest citizens, has faced widespread criticism over his efforts to raise taxes to pay off foreign creditors. But the public opposition led him to shake up his cabinet and back off from certain proposals.