The Kenyan Constitution provides for the position of a deputy president (previously vice president) who must be elected with the president on the same ticket.

President William Ruto's running mate in the recently concluded elections and the deputy president of Kenya is the former Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua.

Ruto’s administration has added more roles and responsibilities to the deputy president’s position.

According to the current Constitution, the deputy president’s roles are as follows:

1. The Deputy President shall be the principal assistant of the President and shall deputise for the President in the execution of the President’s functions.

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2. The Deputy President shall perform the functions conferred by this Constitution and any other functions of the President as the President may assign.

3. Subject to Article 134, when the President is absent or is temporarily incapacitated, and during any other period that the President decides, the Deputy President shall act as the President.

4. The Deputy President shall not hold any other State or public office.

However, Gachagua has been given additional roles in Ruto’s administration.

This is in line with Dr Ruto's Kenya Kwanza’s campaign promise to allocate more roles to the deputy president’s position

Gachagua’s roles under Ruto will include the following:

 1. Deputise for the President in the execution of the President's functions

 2. Chair Cabinet Committees

 3. Oversee Implementation of Cabinet decisions across all Ministries and State Departments

 4. Coordinate Inter-Governmental relations between the National Government and County Governments including Chairing the Inter- Governmental Budget and Economic Council (IBEC)

 5. Liaison with Constitutional Commissions and Independent Offices in matters that require intervention by the National Government including budgets, policy formulation and implementation of their recommendations;

 6. Coordinate the planning and supervise the implementation of development partners funded programs and projects

 7. Oversee Public Sector Reforms; and any other function as may be assigned by the President