Tharaka Member of Parliament (MP) George Murugara has dismissed reports that Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has been stripped of key intergovernmental roles, insisting the claims are based on a misunderstanding of the law and not evidence of a fallout with President William Ruto.
The claims emerged amid speculation that Kindiki had lost influence in government after reports suggested some responsibilities linked to intergovernmental relations had been transferred elsewhere. The accusations sparked debate over whether the Deputy President’s powers had been reduced, with Kindiki dismissing rumours of a strained relationship with President Ruto.
In an exclusive interview with RonnyTV, Murugara, however, defended the Deputy President’s mandate, saying there had been no reduction of Kindiki’s constitutional responsibilities.
“I can assure you, like I’m looking at this paper that wrote yesterday, that powers of the deputy president have been capped, which is not true,” Murugara said.
The lawmaker argued that reports surrounding Kindiki’s role had mixed up the responsibilities of the Deputy President with those assigned to Cabinet Secretaries.
“They surely took up matters, mixed them together, and they said now he has lost some of the portfolio,” he said.
According to Murugara, the Deputy President’s role in intergovernmental relations is clearly defined and has not changed.
“The deputy president, in his role in the intergovernmental relations, it’s purely to chair what is known as intergovernmental budget and economic council. That’s the only thing he does,” he said.
Murugara explained that other functions, including drafting and gazetting regulations and implementing policies within government institutions, fall under Cabinet Secretaries and not the office of the Deputy President.
“However, the rest of the roles are with the Prime Cabinet Secretary, including gazetting regulations, implementing the policies of that organization, all that is with a Cabinet Secretary, and the deputy president is not a Cabinet Secretary,” he said.
The remarks appeared to address reports linking Kindiki’s position to changes involving Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, whose office handles certain administrative and coordination responsibilities within government.
Murugara maintained that the Deputy President cannot assume duties reserved for Cabinet Secretaries under the Constitution.
“He can’t ever do any of the works done by a Cabinet Secretary,” he said.
He added that confusion arose after regulations presented to the Senate were returned with a request that they be handled through the appropriate government office.
“When they came over here, they actually mixed those issues because of regulations which were taken to the Senate and were returned with a request that Mudavadi has to be gazetted so that he is able to present the regulations,” Murugara said.
The MP insisted that neither the President nor the Deputy President has the legal authority to formulate regulations for ministries or government agencies because those responsibilities belong to Cabinet Secretaries.
“Neither the president nor the deputy president can actually formulate any regulations at whatsoever organization, ministry, or whatever, because the president and the deputy president are not cabinet secretaries,” he said.
The debate over Kindiki’s role comes as political observers continue monitoring the working relationship between President Ruto and his deputy. While claims of divisions within the Kenya Kwanza administration have persisted, both Kindiki and his allies have rejected suggestions that there is a political fallout at the top of government.
Murugara’s explanation frames the controversy as an issue of constitutional interpretation rather than a power struggle within the executive. He argues that the responsibilities allegedly removed from Kindiki were never part of the Deputy President’s official mandate.
