Intricacies of Kindiki taking over as new Deputy President

Deputy President displayed the oath of office after he was sworn-in on Nov 1, 2024. [PCS]

Kenya has a new deputy president. Abraham Kithure Kindiki, the former CS of Interior, was sworn in as Rigathi Gachagua’s replacement.

Winston Churchill reportedly said that democracy is the worst form of government, save all the other forms that have been tried before. Given the machinations that drove Gachagua’s impeachment, I would offer the now-concluded process as Exhibit A of Churchill’s mantra.

It was contrived and contentious, but it played out to the end–peacefully–for now.

So, what is next for the bombastic former DP with a penchant for shooting from the hip and putting his foot in the mouth? Below are some thoughts:

If the vindictiveness partly responsible for Gachagua’s karmic comeuppance subsides, the deposed DP will be alright. If it does not, then he should ready himself for a tumultuous reprise of his tenure as DP. I hope Ruto will rein in his Machiavellian tendencies and order his attack dogs to stand down. Yes, DP Rigathi Gachagua shot first, then asked questions. His verbal missives were toxic and divisive. If “loose lips sink ships,” his loose lips sank his deputy presidency. The preceding missteps cost him the deputy presidency. He should be allowed to live out his retirement in peace. He should heed lessons from this experience and act accordingly.

In replacing Gachagua with Kindiki, the president has neutered the backlash from the duo’s Mt Kenya/Central Kenya base. As reasoned by a commenter on one of the more popular blogger’s social media walls, “At least he (Kindiki) is from Mt. Kenya and not from the lakeside.” As tribal as this sounds, it is also standard fare in Kenya, especially its political discourse.

Corruption crusade

Unfortunately, I don’t expect President Ruto and his supporters in the legislature or judiciary to sustain their crusade against corrupt deals, influence-peddling, self-dealing, and incitement, some of the articles of impeachment that torpedoed Gachagua’s career. The fact is that these vices are President Ruto’s stock-in-trade.

Gladhanding and backslapping among the Luos followed their inclusion in the Kenya Kwanza Cabinet after Mr Ruto dissolved the first one. The celebration ramped up as KK publicly supported Raila Odinga’s candidacy for the AU Chairmanship. It became euphoric after Rigathi’s fall from grace. The ease with which the community switched loyalty illustrated the Palmerstonian truism: “No permanent enemies, just permanent interests.” It also belied their oft-touted idealism re: governance, incorruptibility, and principles. Finally, their reaction to Gachagua’s travails only adds to the historical mistrust between the two communities – Luo and Gikuyu.

This is not a good thing.

Finally, it bears pointing out that President Ruto has proven himself a master political tactician. The man won the 2022 General Election against a better-funded opponent with even better name recognition. He then navigated the Gen Z/Millennial-inspired “Summer of Discontent” with little damage to his presidency, crafted a rapprochement with Raila and his Luo base, and the piece de resistance, he jettisoned an unpopular deputy while simultaneously pacifying his base.

Quite a feat.

The writer is a biotech professional based in US