Pallade Veneta - Kenya's Ruto nominates new deputy after impeachment

Kithuri Kindiki, a 52-year-old academic turned political heavyweight, was among front-runners for the post floated by Kenyan media after the Senate voted to remove Gachagua late Thursday after a day of high drama.

The impeachment of Ruto's 2022 election running mate Gachagua had transfixed the East African country, generally regarded as a stable democracy in a turbulent region.

The fast-moving drama continued apace on Friday as National Assembly speaker Moses Wetangula announced Ruto's choice of Kindiki, asking parliamentarians to move ahead with the vote to confirm the appointment.

Kindiki has served as interior minister in Ruto's government for more than two years, but came under fire over alleged police brutality during the sometimes deadly anti-government protests that rocked Kenya earlier this year.

The upper house Senate had pushed ahead with Gachagua's impeachment on Thursday -- finding him guilty of five of the 11 charges against him -- despite the absence of the embattled 59-year-old.

He is the first deputy president to be impeached since the process was introduced in Kenya's revised 2010 constitution.

Gachagua failed to testify in his defence after being rushed to hospital in a Nairobi suburb, plunging the session into disarray.

The Senate rejected an appeal by Gachagua's legal team to delay the hearings, prompting the lawyers to walk out in protest.

Kenyan newspapers led with the news Friday, with The Standard newspaper running an image of Gachagua with the headline "Fired".

"The night of long knives that sealed Gachagua's fate," The Nation wrote on its website.

His downfall is the culmination of a bitter falling out with Ruto, who he helped win a closely fought election in 2022 by rallying support from the crucial Mount Kenya region.

The National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, had overwhelmingly also voted for impeachment in an October 8 vote.

Gachagua was admitted to Karen Hospital with chest pains and would remain there for tests and observation for 48-72 hours, chief cardiologiest Dan Gikonyo told reporters Thursday, describing his condition as stable.

- 'Gross violation' -

Gachagua was found guilty on charges of "gross violation" of the constitution, including threatening judges and practising ethnically divisive politics, but cleared of others including corruption and money-laundering.

He has denied all the charges and no criminal proceedings have been launched against him.

He can however fight the impeachment in the courts -- although previous attempts to halt the process in the run-up to the Senate vote all failed.

A powerful businessman from Kenya's biggest tribe, the Kikuyu, Gachagua -- also known as "Riggy G", weathered previous corruption scandals to become deputy leader as Ruto's running mate in the 2022 poll.

But in recent weeks, he has complained of being sidelined by the president, while also being accused of supporting youth-led anti-government protests that broke out in June.

Ruto has not given any public comment on the impeachment, but Gachagua has said the process could not have gone ahead without his boss's blessing.

C.Conti--PV