Kenya's president nominates interior minister as new deputy but high court orders halt to process

NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenya's president 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 in parliament over allegations of corruption and inciting 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, whose interior ministry docket has been marred by accusations of police brutality during deadly anti-government protests, had been a front-runner for deputy president during the 2022 election campaign.

However, the country's High Court later issued an order halting Gachagua’s replacement until Thursday when cases filed against the impeachment will be heard.

Like Gachagua, Kindiki hails from the vote-rich Mount Kenya region.

Kindiki's nomination was approved by an Assembly vote of 236-0. The National Assembly speaker issued a gazette notice on the voting in of a new deputy president. Kindiki now awaits swearing-in.

Gachagua remains hospitalized with what his lawyer described as “intense chest pains” related to stress. 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.

Gachagua's 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.