AFRICA/KENYA - Rigathi Gachagua removed from office: Minister of the Interior appointed new Deputy President

Nairobi (Agenzia Fides) - The Kenyan Minister of the Interior, Kithure Kindiki, was appointed Deputy President of Kenya today, October 18, replacing Rigathi Gachagua, who was removed from office yesterday, October 17, by the Senate after a vote to impeach him (see Fides, 8/10/2024). The appointment was announced by the Speaker of Parliament, Moses Wetang'ula. Gachagua was accused of 11 counts, including the illicit accumulation of wealth of around 36 million. Last night, the required two-thirds majority of the 67 senators confirmed five charges, including inciting ethnic division and violating the oath of office. This is more than enough to remove him from office and bar him from holding public office for life. The former vice president had promised to defend himself to the end and prove his innocence, but was unable to do so, as he was hospitalized with suspected heart attack and severe chest pains. President Ruto and his deputy Gachagua were elected together two years ago. Gachagua brought Ruto support in Mount Kenya, the bastion of the Kikuyu population, which forms the largest electoral bloc in Kenya. It is no coincidence that the successor chosen by President Ruto, Kithure Kindiki, also comes from the Mount Kenya region. It was against such ethnic motivations to consolidate political power that the young people who have taken to the streets in recent months had protested. They demand the overcoming of outdated structures and solutions to the real problems of Kenyans: the lack of jobs, the economic crisis and the high cost of living (see Fides, 26/6/2024). (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 18/10/2024)

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