Kenya Insights

Tag: Anne Waiguru

  • Ruto Nominates Kindiki As Next Deputy President

    Ruto Nominates Kindiki As Next Deputy President

    President William Ruto has nominated Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki as the next Deputy President.

    His nomination follows after Senators voted to impeach Rigathi Gachagua Thursday night.

    The announcement was made by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula in a communication to the House.

    “Pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 42(1), I wish to report to the House that today morning I have received a message from the President regarding the nomination of Kithure Kindiki to fill the vacancy which has occurred in the Office of the Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya following the impeachment of the previous office holder,” stated Wetangula.

    Gachagua‘s fate was sealed on Thursday, October 17, 2024, when the Senate approved five of the 11 charges the former Mathira Member of Parliament faced in an impeachment motion that originated from the National Assembly.

    The nomination and final approval by Parliament will make Kindiki Kenya’s second DP under President Ruto.

    Kindiki congratulated

    The nomination of the former Tharaka Nithi County Senator as DP designate has generated reactions from Kenyans.

    Kikuyu Member of Parliament (MP) Kimani Ichung’wah, who vocally supported Gachagua’s ouster, is among the first leaders to congratulate Kindiki.

    “Congratulations, my brother Kitthure Kindiki, on your appointment as Deputy President. Serve diligently, selflessly, and with zeal to bring the country together under one flag and move the nation forward.

    “Work tirelessly with dedication and purpose, striving to ensure progress, unity, and prosperity for all. Let the spirit of patriotism, inclusivity, and hard work guide you in this important assignment as we build a brighter future for our beloved country,” Ichung’wah’s X post said.

    Anne Waiguru, Kirinyaga Governor, who had been tipped to succeed Gachagua, also congratulated Kindiki for his nomination.

    “My brother, Professor Kithure Kindiki, my sincere congratulations. To you, history has placed honour and responsibility on only a few. May God guide you and HE William Ruto as you lead this great country to achieve its tremendous potential.

    “To those who supported me for this position, I thank you. We must now dedicate our efforts to building a better Kenya under the leadership of HE William Samoei Ruto and HE Abraham Kithure Kindiki,” Waiguru said in a post on X on Friday, October 18, 2024.

  • Waiguru fails to testify in Sh791 million NYS theft case

    Waiguru fails to testify in Sh791 million NYS theft case

    Kirinyanga Governor Anne Waiguru boycotted a court session where she was expected to testify against former PS Peter Mangiti and 23 other accomplices in the Sh791 million NYS theft.

    Waiguru was set to testify Thursday and Friday but the court was informed that she was unable to appear in court because she was attending to official engagements. The prosecution asked the court for an adjournment until September when the controversial governor will be available to testify.

    The defense team expressed opposition to the adjournment arguing that Waiguru was in court in May this year and she was well aware that her testimony was today but she deliberately skipped and informed the prosecution quite late so that they could not secure new witnesses.

    The court had dismissed Waiguru’s application to bar the media from covering her testimony in May when she claimed that she was apprehensive that some of her statements may be taken out of context and be misreported by the media.

    Though prosecution had 10 other witnesses that they could call, they chose to wait until September 1 after Chief Magistrate Francis Andayi allowed the adjournment. Andayi is scheduled for a transfer to Nyeri but said he will try to conclude the case.

    Former Devolution PS Peter Mangiti [p/courtesy]
    “In that regard, I can’t say I want to conclude this case before I move to Nyeri, otherwise I will have to leave the case at the point I have reached and proceed for transfer,” Andayi said.

    The Magistrate also noted that they have proceeded at a good pace despite the complexity of the case which has 26 accused persons and 16 lawyers as both the prosecution and the defense expressed their desire to have him to hear and conclude the matter before he proceeds on transfer.

    Governor Waiguru turned from a key suspect to a key witness in the Sh791 million National Youth Service (NYS) theft yet she was the Devolution Secretary when the millions were siphoned from the State agency.

    The scandal which forced her to resign in 2015 also implicated former senior government officials who are still facing charges including the former Devolution Permanent Secretary Dr Peter Mangiti, former NYS Director-General Nelson Githinji, ex-NYS finance director Samuel Wachenje and business people like Josephine Kabura and Ben Gethi.