Former inside minister replaces Rigathi Gachagua who was sacked after parliament impeached him in October.
Kithure Kindiki has been sworn in as Kenya’s new deputy president after a court docket lifted orders barring his inauguration following authorized challenges by his predecessor, who was impeached by parliament.
On Friday, Kindiki took his oath earlier than the chief registrar following weeks of authorized tussles after former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua challenged his appointment in court docket.
President William Ruto, who nominated Kindiki as his deputy, in addition to diplomats and greater than 100,000 folks attended the occasion on the Kenyatta Worldwide Conference Centre within the capital, Nairobi.
Friday was declared a public vacation for Kindiki’s inauguration.
The senate eliminated Gachagua from workplace in October on prices of gross violation of the structure and stirring ethnic hatred – accusations that he rejected and described as politically motivated.
Ruto named Kindiki, then the inside minister, as Gachagua’s successor inside hours of the impeachment.
The excessive court docket had put a maintain on his inauguration after Gachagua and his supporters filed greater than 30 authorized challenges to forestall his firing and substitute.
However the keep order was lifted on Thursday, with judges saying that, in line with the structure, the place of deputy president shouldn’t stay vacant. Kindiki’s nomination was confirmed by parliament on October 18.
Ruto appointed Overseas Minister Musalia Mudavadi as inside minister late on Thursday.
Gachagua’s authorized battles prolonged months of political turbulence in East Africa’s largest economic system, which started with nationwide protests in opposition to unpopular tax hikes in June.
In response to the lethal protests, Ruto added opposition members to his cupboard to create what he known as a unity authorities in July, easing a number of the tensions after demonstrators stormed parliament.
The political realignment sidelined Gachagua, who had been a precious working mate for Ruto throughout his election marketing campaign, and helped safe a big block of votes from the populous Mount Kenya area.
Gachagua’s impeachment highlighted divisions throughout the governing United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and friction between him and Ruto. He had been accused of insubordination when he opposed the federal government’s coverage of compelled evictions throughout heavy rains that brought on flooding and deaths.
Kindiki was additionally one of many prime contenders to be Ruto’s working mate throughout the 2022 election, however was finally appointed to the inside ministry after the president took workplace in September that yr.
Earlier than turning into inside minister, the 52-year-old former regulation professor served as a senator from the vote-rich Mount Kenya area.