Prof Kithure Kindiki left his house on Friday morning with no confirmed State position, having resigned as Interior Cabinet Secretary, but within minutes of being sworn in as the country’s second-in-command, he was poised to start enjoying the perks and privileges of high office.
As Deputy President (DP), his security was immediately enhanced to be only second to President William Ruto ’s. He now has tens of elite police officers from the Presidential Escort Unit at his disposal, complete with motorcycle outriders for his convoy that now has more fuel-guzzlers, a new experience for the law-lecturer-turned-politician.
Prof Kindiki’s elevation to occupy the powerful Harambee House Annex address makes him the third deputy president under the 2010 Constitution, taking over from Mr Rigathi Gachagua, who remains in court fighting his impeachment by Parliament.
Apart from the security, Prof Kindiki will have an expanded staff headed by the Chief of Staff, a number of advisers and secretaries among others. A recent document from the Public Service Commission indicated that Mr Gachagua’s staff in the office of the deputy president had increased from 145 to 683 in two years.
Prof Kindiki also becomes the new occupant of the lavish official deputy presidential residence in Nairobi’s Karen that was nicknamed “Hustler’s Mansion” ahead of the 2022 elections when Dr Ruto occupied it.
The DP further enjoys an elaborate security structure with more than 100 officers from the Administrative Police and the Prison Service providing security at his various residences, including in his rural home in Tharaka Nithi County.
The President and his deputy are protected by a special unit at all times, along with officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and others from the General Service Unit (GSU).
The life of the former senator and Interior Cabinet Secretary took a 360-degree turn with the affirmation of the oath of allegiance and the performance of the duties assigned to him in the Constitution administered by the Chief Registrar of the Judiciary Winfridah Mokaya and in the presence of the Chief Justice Martha Koome.
Some of the gazetted perks that Prof Kindiki will enjoy as the principal assistant to President Ruto include a salary of Sh1,227,188, which is broken down into a basic salary of Sh736,313, a house allowance (Sh300,000) and a salary market adjustment (Sh190,875), among others.
In addition, Prof Kindiki is entitled to annual medical cover for himself, his spouse and up to four children under the age of 25.
This includes in-patient cover of Sh10 million, out-patient cover of Sh300,000, maternity cover of Sh150,000, dental cover of Sh75,000 and optical cover of Sh75,000.
This is in addition to group life insurance and group personal accident insurance, both worth three times the annual pensionable salary.
Prof Kindiki was never a fan of foreign travel during his time as Interior Cabinet Secretary, but he will be forced to represent the President in various events abroad. During such times, a DP is entitled to allowances and is accompanied by a number of staff.
The second-in-command is also provided with official transport in accordance with government policy. Article 151 of the Constitution on the Remuneration and Benefits of the President and Deputy President also provides that their "salaries and allowances shall be a charge on the Consolidated Fund.”
The Act also states: "The remuneration, benefits and privileges of the President and the Deputy President shall not be varied to their detriment while in office."
Sneak preview of DP security
Under President Uhuru Kenyatta's regime, the then Interior and National Coordination Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i gave Kenyans a sneak preview of the security assigned to the DP, then Dr Ruto.
A report presented by Dr Matiang'i to the National Security and Administration Committee in the 12th Parliament revealed that Dr Ruto had 257 officers attached to him.
This number could vary depending on the level of security sought by the occupant of the DP's office. Dr Matiang'i then argued that Dr Ruto had the largest security detail of any deputy or vice president has ever had in Kenya’s history.
Previous holders of the office equivalent to the deputy president then-- the Vice Presidents (VPs), who were directly appointed by the President and served at the whims of the appointing authority — had no more than 60 security officials, according to Dr Matiang'i.
During the tenures of Daniel arap Moi and Mwai Kibaki, the VPs had 34 and 26 officers respectively.
Former VPs George Saitoti, Musalia Mudavadi, Kijana Wamalwa and Moody Awori had 30, 22, 22 and 22 officers respectively, while Prime Minister Raila Odinga had 57 officers attached to him.
"The holder of the office of the Vice President was automatically appointed as the Minister of Home Affairs. Therefore, the VP's security was provided by prison officers and general duty officers from various police stations depending on the number of residences the office holder had. However, escort duties were carried out by officers from the Presidential Escort Unit," Dr Matiang'i told MPs at the time.
The former Cabinet Secretary pointed out at the time that "in providing security to the Deputy President, the National Police Service and its senior leadership are guided by the Service Standing Orders and emerging security considerations and have frequently deployed additional GSU and Presidential Escort Unit personnel as required.
The security provided to Mr Gachagua was withdrawn after the Senate upheld his impeachment. The security was partially reinstated after the court's short reprieve through the conservatory orders, which have since been quashed by a three-judge bench of the High Court.
