Jubilation, promise for one Kenya as Kindiki takes oath of office

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki was on Friday sworn in as the country’s third DP and 13th Number Two, a crowning moment two years overdue.

Under a scorching morning sun, Prof Kindiki assumed office in front of thousands of Kenyans who turned up at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) to witness the unprecedented, yet historic event.

He arrived walking, having disembarked from a modest motorcade, and left with one that included motorcycle outriders and countless chase vehicles.

The new Deputy President looked sharp in his dark grey suit and red tie, forcing a solemn face that could barely conceal his soft smile as he took the oath.

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Kindiki had just emerged from his former Interior Ministry office, domiciled at the Office of the President, where he had said his goodbyes to colleagues he would later courteously say were responsible for all the ministry’s successes.

Hoisting the Constitution with his right hand and placing the left on a Bible his wife held with both hands, Kindiki, calm as ever and in unhurried speech, swore to “always truly and diligently serve the people and the Republic of Kenya in the office of the Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya.”

“I will diligently discharge my duties and perform my functions in the said office, to the best of my judgment; that I will at all times, when so required, faithfully and truly give my counsel and advice to the President of the Republic of Kenya; that I will do justice to all without fear, favour, affection or ill-will; and that I will not directly or indirectly reveal such matters as shall come to my knowledge in the discharge of my duties and committed to my secrecy,” said the DP, who swore two oaths, one to solemnly affirm due execution of his new office.

The other, the first, was the oath of allegiance of the Deputy President, delivered amid a euphoric cheer by multitudes of his supporters waving miniature flags.

Chief Justice Martha Koome oversaw the swearing-in administered by the Judiciary’s Chief Registrar, Winfridah Mokaya. Across from them, President William Ruto, baking in the harsh Nairobi sun, watched as he got a new principal assistant who had nothing but admiration for him.

“I have been your political student for nearly 20 years now and nothing in the political space has helped me to pick up lessons more than the years that I have walked and served around you in various capacities... I promise you, before this congregation and before God, that I will not let you down,” said Kindiki.

Unlike his predecessor, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Kindiki was in no rush to recite his oath of office. And hence he did not veer off course, needing no retakes. Having safely docked at the other side, his inaugural speech was equally leisurely.

Move on

The 52-year-old’s deliberate pace was a stark contrast to the speed at which his ascension to the office was processed. Hours after the High Court opened the doors for Kindiki’s tenure as DP, a flurry of gazette notices were issued announcing yesterday’s event.

The Assumption of the Office of Deputy President Committee, led by Secretary to the Cabinet Mercy Wanjau, was hastily convened. They would meet Thursday evening, announcing the prompt swearing-in ceremony. Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, now also acting as Interior Cabinet Secretary, then declared the day a holiday.

The choice of the venue of the event, fringed by the Supreme Court and Parliament buildings, and the Office of the President, as well as the adjacent State Law Office, seemed deliberate, too. It was within walking distance for everyone who mattered. The two main actors, Kindiki and Chief Justice Koome, walked to the KICC, spruced up for the big day overnight.

The ceremony did not last longer than it needed to, with Kindiki assuming office minutes before 11am. The haste spoke of a government not ready to tempt chance by risking a last-minute twist, a government desperate to move on from Gachagua.

This haste showed in the lack of shades for the dignitaries, who experienced what ordinary Kenyans endure at such events. They struggled to shield themselves from the sun and often wiped off beads of sweat on their shiny faces. 

Inside a canopy mounted at the KICC’s yard and temporarily shielded from the unforgiving rays, Kindiki, gazing upon the monument of Kenya’s founding President Jomo Kenyatta, soaked in the significance of the moment he should have had days ago, denied to him by conservatory orders lifted last Thursday.

“Today is, if I may say so, a day when I have received the highest honour yet of my life and I don’t take that for granted,” Kindiki said at the tail-end of a speech delivered over 13 minutes, perhaps the longest address he will ever make in the Head of State’s presence. His new role essentially confines him to ‘welcoming the president’ at State functions.

His ascension to the high office, Kindiki borrowed former US President Barack Obama’s words, was “unlikely”, with the new DP asserting that his story was only possible in Kenya.

“Throughout my journey, culminating in this moment, I have come to believe that Kenya is the country of possibility... I was born 52 years ago in one of the remotest parts of Kenya but because Kenya is the homeland of possibilities, I, perhaps the most unlikely person, am standing here today because Kenya has made it possible for anyone to become anything in this country,” stated Kindiki.

The scholar of law would have probably preferred to mark the day with the endorsement of the Kenyan voter and an accompanying cheer in a packed stadium of 60,000. He would have, had Ruto honoured a vote by lawmakers from Mount Kenya who wanted Kindiki to be named the then-DP’s running mate in 2022.

But alas, the second-in-command had to make do with the National Assembly’s nod and a smaller venue. None of that seemed to matter for the man now united with his destiny.

If he is luckier than Gachagua, the son of a pastor will survive until the next election. It is too soon to predict whether Ruto would seek re-election with Kindiki as running mate.

Did such thoughts cross the lawyer’s mind? It did not seem so. If anyone had missed Gachagua, it certainly did not show, as neither the Head of State nor his deputy spared a good word for him. While they did not even utter Gachagua’s name, he was not spared their jibes.

In one of their songs, the State House choir sang about eradicating ethnicity, indirectly hitting at the former DP, who faced charges of pushing for the isolation of ethnic communities that did not vote for Ruto in 2022.

Ruto was more direct in his assault. The Commander-in-Chief called out his deputy for abandoning him for the last two years, even as he urged Kindiki to avoid the pitfalls that saw Gachagua unceremoniously removed from office.

“I have heard you clearly when you took your oath of office and when you took the oath for the due execution of your roles as Deputy President. You have said... you will serve the people of Kenya and the Republic of Kenya,” said the Head of State. “We are not here to serve ourselves or our families, communities, regions or villages. We are here to serve the people of Kenya and the Republic of Kenya.”

In Kindiki, Ruto has a loyal ally who has been at his side, defending him when he faced crimes against humanity charges at The Hague-based International Criminal Court. Kindiki’s loyalty to the President would cost him the deputy speaker position during a purge by former President Uhuru Kenyatta that targeted the then-DP’s (Ruto’s) allies.

And Kenya’s third DP would assure his boss that he would not grow tired of staying loyal to him, even now that he sits a heartbeat away from the presidency.

“Your Excellency, I have reflected on the words of the oaths of office I have taken... I want to commit to you (Ruto) before this congregation and before the Almighty God... that I will serve under you and provide you with the assistance and support you require to take this country to the next level. I commit I will be loyal and faithful,” said Kindiki.

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi vouched for the new DP’s loyalty, terming him a virtuous man.

“In Prof Kindiki we see a lot of virtue, but perhaps the one I may want to single out is the virtue of humility and simplicity. He does not walk around with airs around him. This is a very important virtue. If, as a nation, we can embrace humility, we can go far. If we disregard humility it can be very expensive,” he said.

Kindiki and Mudavadi had nothing to say about Gachagua, only praising the swift process that had seen him dethroned as a testament of the maturity of Kenya’s democracy and institutions.

Gachagua, ejected from office two weeks ago by the Senate, had made the mortal sin of openly challenging his boss, perhaps falsely assured by the security of tenure that should have been hard to end. After all, as DP, Ruto suffered no consequence for his insubordination. The President’s alliance with former Prime Minister Raila Odinga made the removal of any unwanted person look easy, a rousing reality check for virtually any State officeholder.

Under different circumstances, Kindiki’s predecessor would have been present as a way of conveying his goodwill. But hounded out of office two years after his luckiest break, KICC was the last place Gachagua would have wanted to be.

The former DP retreated to the embrace of family, spending yesterday in his native Mathira “Home Sweet Home” and away from the “Kindiki” chants to the more amiable “chirping of birds.”

“Thanking God for the gift of my family. The smell of fresh grass and the sounds of chirping birds are what a happy family needs. I will remain forever grateful to God, for giving me a loving and supportive family. We are happy to be home, where I was born and brought up. I can’t wait for the morning to take my walk in Hombe Forest, enjoy the beautiful scenery of Mt Kenya as I thank God for His kindness,” Gachagua captioned an image of himself, his wife Dorcas and children Keith and Kevin, he shared on social media.

Past behind

KICC was the only place Kindiki wanted to be. As he had begun his speech, the DP said words had failed him as he thanked the President for nominating him as DP, God who “ordered” his steps and affairs, his family for their sacrifice, Kenya’s heroes and all those who moulded him into the celebrated teacher he had become.

“Allow me, your Excellency, to thank my wonderful wife, Joyce Kithure, a woman who has sacrificed... to raise our three children, Imani, Neema and Mwende (in the) many days of my absence as I served the country in different roles. I am very grateful to my wife and the children for being the foundation and providing the support that I have always required as I navigate this difficult space of public service,” said the DP.

A forward-looking Kindiki also reflected on his tenure as Interior CS, graciously accepting blame for the “few challenges” encountered.

He hoped he would replicate his successes in his new role but was tight-lipped on the most consequential bit of legacy at the Interior docket - overseeing an escalation of rights abuses. 

Ruto’s regime has been criticised for its brutality, intolerance and disregard for human rights, earning several reprimands from international friends, the latest being Thursday’s rebuke by some European envoys over wanton abductions. At the helm of the Interior Ministry, Kindiki was among the faces of that heavy-handedness.

He will be hoping to put that past behind him as he turns over a new leaf that earns him a more premium position in the history books.