That depends upon how early in the game you are. If you are in Dragon's Eye you can probably wait until 13th level but if you are later than that you should probably dual class now. Unless you are planning on going through HoW and/or TotLM, in which case wait until at least 13th level.
A lot of people have had great success over the years dual-classing kensai. Once that character regains kensai class there should be some devastating backstabs.
The biggest draw of the Kensai/Thief in Throne of Bhaal is eventually the Thief will get the Use Any Item high-level ability, which completely negates the Kensai's equipment restrictions and leaves a combo without any downsides. (Also, the shortage of decent NPC thieves incentivizes players to create their own.)
In Icewind Dale, honestly, I just prefer the plain-jane Fighter/Thief multiclass. Far less fiddly, you get armor and helmets, (including Helm of the Trusted Defender if you're a Halfling or Gnome!), and you don't have to worry about spending the early game without a thief or the mid-game without a fighter.
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In Icewind Dale, honestly, I just prefer the plain-jane Fighter/Thief multiclass. Far less fiddly, you get armor and helmets, (including Helm of the Trusted Defender if you're a Halfling or Gnome!), and you don't have to worry about spending the early game without a thief or the mid-game without a fighter.