Interior Cabinet Secretary nominee Kithure Kindiki has left MPs in stitches after he confused President William Ruto with former President Uhuru Kenyatta during vetting.
Kindiki, while appearing before a 15-member Committee on Appointments at County Hall, Nairobi stated he had no problem working under President Uhuru Kenyatta rather than President William Ruto.
"I have no problem working under Vice President Rigathi Gachagua together with President Uhuru Kenyatta," he said.
He, however, corrected his statement alleging Kenyatta "threw me out for no reason."
"I'll be more than happy to serve under President William Ruto, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, my colleagues and arms of government," he clarified.
Kithure Kindiki says his net worth is Ksh544 million, comprised of land, buildings and bank deposits of about Ksh50 million. His current source of income is his law practice. He also runs several businesses and is a consultant for local and international companies. pic.twitter.com/sjEKrKq68Y
- KTN News (@KTNNewsKE) October 18, 2022
Kindiki has served as Senator for Tharaka-Nithi, from 2013 to 2022.
He clinched the seat on his first attempt at elective politics.
He was then elected the first leader of the Majority in the Senate, a position he held until he became the Deputy Speaker after the 2017 general elections.
He was de-whipped from the position in 2020, a casualty of the fall-out between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his then-deputy Ruto.
Before his election, he taught law at Moi and Nairobi universities from 1999.
In 2004 he joined the University of Nairobi where he served until 2005 when he returned to Moi to head the department of Public Law.
He served as Secretary of the National Cohesion in the Ministry of Justice soon after the 2008 post-election violence. He was instrumental in the drafting of the National Cohesion and Integration Act.
However, he resigned after three months and accused the government of lacking the political will to resettle hundreds of thousands of displaced people by the 2007/08 post-poll skirmishes.
He was thrown into the public limelight when Ruto appointed him to his legal team when he faced crimes against humanity charges at the International Criminal Court (ICC).