Deputy President of Kenya

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Deputy President of the
Republic of Kenya
Naibu Rais wa Jamhuri ya Kenya
Coat of arms of Kenya (Official).svg
Rigathi Gachagua - 2023 (cropped).jpg
Incumbent
Rigathi Gachagua
since 13 September 2022
Style His Excellency/Her Excellency
Residence The Deputy President's Mansion
Seat Nairobi
Appointer Direct popular vote or, if vacant, President
Term length Five years, renewable once
Constituting instrument Constitution of Kenya
Inaugural holder Jaramogi Oginga Odinga
Formation12 December 1964;59 years ago (1964-12-12)
Salary KSh.14,724,000.00 annual [1]
Website www.deputypresident.go.ke

The deputy president of the Republic of Kenya (Swahili: Naibu Rais wa Jamhuri ya Kenya) is the principal assistant of the President of the Republic of Kenya. [2]

Contents

History

Prior to the 2010 Constitution of Kenya, the deputy president was known as the vice president, and the president had the power to appoint and dismiss the vice president at will.

In order to remove the repeated abuse of this privilege, the new Constitution promulgated in 2010 mandated that the person nominated as the running mate of a candidate for the presidency during the elections becomes the deputy president-elect upon their candidate being declared the winner of the presidential elections. In addition to this change in appointing responsibility, unlike in the previous Constitution where the vice president usually held a secondary role of being a Cabinet Minister, [3] the new Constitution mandates that the deputy president is not permitted to hold any other state or public office and shall only perform the duties assigned to the office by the Constitution and by the president.

Since the country's independence, there has been one vacancy in the office, from 8 January 1998 until 3 April 1999. [3] Three of Kenya's Vice/Deputy Presidents, Mwai Kibaki, Daniel arap Moi and William Ruto have gone on to serve as President, with the latter currently serving as the incumbent President since 13 September 2022. [4] Prior to this, he served as acting president for a few days after president Uhuru Kenyatta temporarily transferred his powers and office to appear before the International Criminal Court. [5]

Qualifications and election to office

The 2010 Constitution states that for a person to become the Deputy President, the person must be nominated as the running mate of a candidate in the presidential elections and the person must themselves qualify to be nominated as a candidate for election as President. [6]

Upon a person being nominated as a running mate and their candidate wins the elections, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission then declares that the candidate is the President-elect, and the running mate is subsequently the Deputy President-elect.

The Deputy President-elect takes office on the same day as the President-elect and serves from the date sworn in until:

  1. The next President-elect is sworn in.
  2. Upon assuming the office of the President; or
  3. Resignation, death or being removed from office under the conditions provided by the Constitution

Responsibilities

The following is a summary of the responsibilities of the Deputy President as provided in the Constitution: [7]

  1. Serves as the President's principal assistant and deputises for the President in the performance of the responsibilities of the President.
  2. The Deputy President acts as the President if the sitting President is absent, temporarily incapacitated or whenever the President assigns this responsibility; and
  3. Performing any other responsibility assigned by the Constitution and the President.

List of officeholders

Parties
   Kenya African National Union (KANU)
   National Rainbow Coalition (NARC) / Party of National Unity (PNU)
   Orange Democratic Movement – Kenya (ODM–K)
   Jubilee Alliance (JA)
   United Democratic Alliance (UDA)
Key

Died in office

No.PictureName
(Birth–Death)
Term of officePolitical party
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
Vice President of Kenya
1 Jaramogi Oginga Odinga (cropped).jpg Jaramogi Oginga Odinga
(1911–1994)
12 December 196414 April 19661 year, 123 days KANU
2 No image.png Joseph Murumbi
(1911–1990)
3 May 196631 August 1964120 days KANU
3 Daniel arap Moi 1979b.jpg Daniel arap Moi
(1924–2020)
5 January 196722 August 197811 years, 229 days KANU
4 Mwai Kibaki 2011-07-08.jpg Mwai Kibaki
(1931–2022)
14 October 197824 March 19889 years, 162 days KANU
5 No image.png Josephat Karanja
(1931–1994)
24 March 19881 May 19891 year, 38 days KANU
6 George Saitoti (cropped).jpg George Saitoti
(1945–2012)
1 May 19898 January 19988 years, 252 days KANU
3 April 199930 August 20023 years, 149 days KANU
7 Musalia Mudavadi.JPG Musalia Mudavadi
(born 1960)
4 November 20023 January 200360 days KANU
8 Wamalwapotr.jpg Michael Kijana Wamalwa
(1944–2003)
3 January 200323 August 2003 [†] 232 days NARC
9 Moody Awori.jpg Moody Awori
(born 1928)
25 September 20039 January 20084 years, 106 days NARC / PNU
10 Kalonzo Musyoka1.jpg Kalonzo Musyoka
(born 1953)
9 January 20089 April 20135 years, 90 days ODM–K
Deputy President of Kenya
11 Ruto at WTO Public Forum 2014 (cropped).jpg William Ruto
(born 1966)
9 April 201313 September 20229 years, 157 days Jubilee
12 Rigathi Gachagua - 2023 (cropped).jpg Geoffrey Rigathi Gachagua
(born 1965)
13 September 2022Incumbent1 year, 180 days United Democratic Alliance

See also

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References

  1. Today, Business (18 May 2017). "Top earners: President Uhuru and Deputy President Faruk Abdallah salaries".{{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  2. Article 147 of the Constitution of Kenya
  3. 1 2 "'From Saitoti to Mudavadi': Vice Presidents who served under Moi".
  4. "Former Presidents | The Presidency". Archived from the original on 14 July 2018.
  5. "William Ruto gets a taste of power as Acting President". 3 July 2020.
  6. "148. Election and swearing in of Deputy President - Kenya Law Reform Commission (KLRC)". www.klrc.go.ke. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  7. "147. Functions of the Deputy President - Kenya Law Reform Commission (KLRC)". www.klrc.go.ke. Retrieved 22 October 2022.