Why Kindiki disappeared as Kenyans faced fuel crisis in Ruto absence

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and Ukambani politicians at Mwala constituency in Machakos County on May 20, 2026. [John Muia, Standard]

The Deputy President position is a venerable one. It has caused sleepless nights for many politicians angling for power. It is a heartbeat away from the sanctums of authority and its holder carries not just stature but serious influence.

The position was heavily debated during the writing of the Constitution. It was not only safeguarded but also given authority and duties that make the holder a principal actor in governance at the very top.

Ordinarily, with President William Ruto out of the country, it is expected that his deputy, Kithure Kindiki, will take charge.

The last few days, however, have painted a picture of a professor out of tune with his roles and responsibilities. He has cast the image of an outsider in government. Not only has he skipped core engagements in the capital, but his resigned presence in his home county of Tharaka Nithi has made him appear sidelined from the centre of power, the Executive.

During the national fuel crisis this week, Prof Kindiki, who, according to Article 147 (3) is now acting President in the absence of his boss, was a no-show as more nondescript players, among them a former blogger, took centre stage.

The President appeared to place his trust in Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen to resolve the crisis rather than his deputy, who watched developments on TV like other Kenyans from his rural home.

His continued absence at crucial moments, and at times from crisis meetings when his boss is away, has now raised questions as to whether he is being sidelined by the President, a move some interpret as driven by lack of trust and political capital.

The constitutional provisions outline occasions when the second in command acts as President, such as when the President is absent, temporarily incapacitated, or during any other period that the President may designate.

Ruto has been out of the country since May 16, when he left for Azerbaijan for the 13th Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), and is said to be currently on another State visit aimed at strengthening diplomatic and economic cooperation in neighbouring Kazakhstan.

But with the President away and the country hit by a monumental crisis following deadly fuel-hike protests that left at least 12 people dead and property worth millions destroyed, Kindiki has been missing in action.

He appeared either to have been ordered or to have voluntarily surrendered his role to his juniors, who took charge of negotiations between representatives of public transport operators and the government in efforts to restore normalcy.

On May 18, the professor of law and human rights flew to Tharaka Nithi to inspect local projects while the country was in turmoil. The country was at a standstill as Kindiki briefed “his people” on the progress of development projects, including the tarmacking of the 56-kilometre Miomponi-Mukothima-Gatunga-Nkondi road at a cost of Sh3.3 billion.

Tharaka Nithi

“Met 2,500 grassroots leaders from Tharaka Constituency. I updated them on the status of various national government projects and programmes and heard from them on what they consider the constituency priorities for the present and the future,” Kindiki wrote on his social media pages.

On the same day, three Cabinet Secretaries—Opiyo Wandayi (Energy), Davis Chirchir (Transport) and John Mbadi (National Treasury)—flanked by former blogger and now Head of Creative Economy and Presidential Special Projects Dennis Itumbi, met a delegation from the national transport sector to plead with them to call off their strike, albeit unsuccessfully.

Ordinarily, Kindiki should have watched the public setback his juniors endured in a live televised broadcast with consternation and rushed back to the city, given he has a budget of about one million shillings a day for hiring helicopters or other aircraft.

Instead, he chose to continue with business in the village. Kenyans were left questioning, on social media platforms, why he was missing in action and whether he could have handled the situation differently.

Sources at State House say the President called from Baku, instructing Murkomen to take charge and resolve the impasse that was threatening to spiral into anarchy. The question is why did he not reach out to his deputy, who could have flown back to Nairobi at short notice?

On Tuesday, when Murkomen was roped in to try to convince players in the public transport sector to resolve the stalemate, Kindiki was attending the burial ceremony of Mzee Eshbon Thuku Kwenya, father to Kinangop MP Thuku Kwenya.

His critics claim the man who should be providing solutions to Kenyans’ problems was reduced to tweets and reacting through his social media pages in a bid to give his opinions on the fuel hikes.

After the players called off the strike, Kindiki rushed to his Facebook account and wrote: “Suspension of the matatu strike is welcome relief. It is patriotic.”

When Kenyans were walking to work on Monday, the Deputy President took to his social media pages to explain why there was pain at the pump, while outlining the government’s interventions.

“The sharp increase in fuel prices around the world has resulted from the US/Israel and Iran war, which has led to an escalation of fuel costs, freight, insurance and logistics. The Government is committed to cushioning the people of Kenya by mitigating the effects of this crisis,” he wrote.

He added: “Effective today, the price of diesel has been reduced by 10 shillings per litre as a sign of government commitment to continuous engagement with stakeholders to achieve a sustainable management of the global fuel price spike.

“The remaining portion of tax is essential for the construction of our road infrastructure and the maintenance of roads to support the economy, and the right balance must be maintained to ensure that as we sort out the fuel price issue, we do not disrupt funding for other equally important sectors like education and social services.”

Plight of Kenyans

Political analysts opine that it was uncharacteristic of the Deputy President to ignore the plight of Kenyans while acting as Head of State.

Omar Mohammed, a political analyst and Lang’ata politician, said Kindiki ought to have been fully in charge, while at the same time showing empathy to Kenyans who were protesting fuel price hikes.

“Someone must remind Kindiki that he is the acting President. If Kenya is invaded in the absence of the President, we would not wait for him to return to the country; it would be his deputy’s duty to act fast,” said Mohammed.

Bernard Munyonyo, a political strategist, said Kindiki ought to understand that he is always a president-in-waiting and should have used the fuel crisis to showcase his readiness for the job.

“Sometimes, the Kindiki–Ruto affair seems like a forced marriage. I see a situation where he feels this (position) is not mine; somebody needs to remind him that he is the Deputy President,” said Munyonyo.

Other critics, led by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, accused the President of sidelining Kindiki and other senior State officials and ceding key national decision-making to Itumbi.

“A blogger has been allocated the office that was occupied by Kibaki. He summons CSs and parastatals, calls the President and puts him on loudspeaker. He is in charge of the government, not Kindiki. The CS National Treasury is a senior government official, but Itumbi was the one who chaired the stakeholders’ meeting. Such meetings would be chaired by Kindiki or the Head of Public Service, but Ruto, because of despising the people of Kenya, designates a blogger to chair such meetings,” Gachagua claimed.

Itumbi, however, was quick to jump to Kindiki’s defence, writing, “Kindiki is a practical mentor. A teacher in the real sense of the word. He doesn’t just assign work; he places you right at the center of the assignment, allows you to struggle, even fail, then patiently teaches you how to succeed. He refines ideas with you. Rewrites drafts himself. Supervises every detail with passion and genuine interest in seeing you grow. He follows up. Creates time from an impossible schedule. Give attention to detail until the work is right, until you are right. That kind of leadership changes people.”

Yesterday, Itumbi took to social media to give status updates on the Madaraka Day celebrations: “All set for Madaraka Day in Wajir. Masomo. Ujuzi. Kesho Yetu is a theme under the Ministry of Education. Thematic days will run from 28th to 30th May. We had the final planning meeting with all PSs, senior departmental heads and other stakeholders.”

Meanwhile, Kindiki was attending a political rally in Ukambani, spreading his “fire si fire” gospel.