Kisre Kindiki is scheduled to replace Ligasi Gachagua, who has filed a petition with the court to prevent his dismissal.
A day after the Senate passed a resolution to impeach Ligachi Gachagua, Kenya’s parliament approved the appointment of Interior Minister Kisre Kindiki as the new vice president.
The decision came after President William Ruto appointed Kindiki as vice president on Friday.
Speaking ahead of the approval, Chairman Moses Wetangula said, “I have received a message from the President regarding the nomination of Professor Kitule Kindiki to fill the vacancy that has arisen in the post.”
Mr Kindiki, a close ally of Mr Ruto, held the interior ministry post throughout Mr Ruto’s two years as president.
He previously served as a senator for Tharaka Niti district and was a front-runner to be Ruto’s running mate in the 2022 election.
Kindiki will need to be sworn in after receiving parliamentary approval.
Gachagua filed a motion in court on Friday seeking to stop the substitution, Reuters reported, citing court documents.
In an unprecedented move, a majority of House members voted last week to impeach him on 11 charges, including corruption, undermining the government and inciting ethnic hatred.
As a result, he lost his retirement benefits and was unable to hold public office again.
The Senate voted to remove Gachagua from office on Thursday, even though he was absent from proceedings due to illness.
His lawyer, Paul Muito, said Gachagua had been hospitalized with severe chest pains and urged the Senate to suspend the case for several days.
Gachagua has maintained his innocence and launched a legal challenge to the impeachment proceedings in the High Court, which Judge Eric Ogola said could proceed.
He supported Mr Ruto to victory in the 2022 election, helping him garner a large swath of votes from the populous central Kenya region. He spoke about being left out of the side amid widespread local media reports that he had fallen out with Ruto due to changes in political alliances.
Following nationwide protests against tax hikes that left more than 50 people dead, Ruto dismissed most of his cabinet, appointed opposition politicians and called a unity government.
