The National Assembly has unanimously approved Kithure Kindiki as the Deputy President of Kenya in record time.
This decision follows his nomination by President William Ruto, made during a special sitting of the House on Friday. A remarkable 236 Members of Parliament backed Kindiki’s nomination, with no votes against and no abstentions, highlighting a rare show of consensus among lawmakers.
Speaker Moses Wetangula announced the outcome of the vote, confirming that the nomination had been passed and stating, “The nomination is herewith declared passed by the House.
The Speaker will transmit the result to the president and sign a gazette notice to this effect.” This development opens the path for President Ruto to appoint Kindiki as his principal assistant, paving the way for his imminent swearing-in.
Kithure Kindiki currently serves as the Cabinet Secretary for the Interior and National Administration. His nomination had raised questions among some MPs regarding the timing of the vote, specifically whether it was permissible to endorse a nomination on the same day it was presented.
However, Speaker Wetangula clarified that the proceedings were within constitutional timelines and that the house had a longstanding practice of proceeding without public participation for such elective positions.
The roots of this appointment lie in Article 149(1) of the Constitution, which stipulates that the National Assembly votes upon receiving a presidential nomination.
The Speaker reiterated that public participation, while significant in many legislative matters, is not applicable in this instance.
