NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 21 – Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has sent his clearest signal yet that he expects to remain President William Ruto’s second-in-command if the Kenya Kwanza administration secures a second term in the 2027 General Election.
Kindiki, while addressing newly elected United Democratic Alliance (UDA) grassroots officials, projected confidence about remaining in office beyond the 2027 elections, saying he would defend his position and could not simply be removed from the Deputy Presidency.
“I, the fireman, and now, by the grace of God, the Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya. Do you think there is anybody who can remove me from this seat and chase me away like a fool?” Kindiki asked.
“It is not possible. I will defend myself. I cannot simply be chased away; I will defend myself,” he added.
The remarks are likely to fuel debate within the broad based government coalition over who will occupy the Deputy President’s position should President Ruto win a second term.
Although Kindiki did not expressly say that Ruto had formally settled on him as the 2027 running mate, his remarks indicated that he views his current position as one he intends to defend and retain.
His comments also appeared directed at political rivals questioning his tenure and his ability to survive the increasingly competitive politics surrounding the 2027 succession.
Kindiki contrasted his position with the political difficulties that faced President Ruto during the administration of retired President Uhuru Kenyatta.
He recalled that attempts had been made to remove Ruto from the Deputy Presidency during his tenure as Uhuru’s deputy, but that Ruto survived because of the political networks he had built.
“Our President, William Ruto, during the last days, disagreed with his former boss, Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta. They tried to remove William Ruto, but it was not possible because he had many friends and he was the Deputy President. We stayed firm until the end,” Kindiki said.
The Deputy President’s remarks come against the backdrop of an increasingly fluid 2027 political landscape, with rival camps already positioning themselves for influential roles in the next administration.
Kindiki has in recent months intensified his political activities, particularly in the Mount Kenya region, as he seeks to consolidate his standing within the region and the broader Kenya Kwanza administration.
His position is also being closely watched because his predecessor, Rigathi Gachagua, has emerged as a leading critic of the Ruto administration and is seeking to build a new political alliance ahead of 2027.
Gachagua’s departure from government created an opening for Kindiki, who was appointed Deputy President in October 2024 following the Senate’s impeachment of Gachagua.
Since then, Kindiki has increasingly presented himself as a loyal member of Ruto’s administration and has defended the government’s record while attacking those calling for a change of leadership in 2027.
At the UDA meeting, he insisted that the administration should be judged on its development record and not on political slogans or personal attacks.
He told grassroots officials to take the government’s achievements to voters as the party prepares for the next election.
Kindiki cited the recruitment of teachers, expansion of healthcare coverage under the Social Health Authority, construction of classrooms, technical training, road development and agricultural interventions as evidence that the administration was delivering on its 2022 election promises.
He said the government would present its record to Kenyans when seeking a second mandate.
“We shall ensure that next year, as we come to ask for a second term of this leadership, we shall present our record of the promises we have delivered and the ones we will have started,” he said.
The Deputy President also urged UDA members to support what he called the “two-term agenda”, saying President Ruto should serve the constitutionally permitted two terms if voters approve his performance.
Kindiki’s comments are significant because the question of Ruto’s running mate in 2027 is expected to become one of the most contentious issues within the governing coalition.
The 2022 political arrangement that saw Ruto run with Gachagua was fundamentally altered when Gachagua was removed from office. Kindiki’s subsequent appointment changed the political calculations around the Deputy President’s office and introduced a new potential succession equation.
The Deputy President is now attempting to build a political identity around his record in government while also strengthening his ties with regional leaders and grassroots UDA officials.
He recently received backing from sections of the Mount Kenya East leadership, including elders associated with the Njuri Ncheke, who have positioned him as an important regional political voice.
For Kindiki, retaining the Deputy Presidency would represent more than continuity in government. It would cement his place at the centre of the Ruto succession and give him a national political platform heading into 2032.
His declaration that he will defend his position therefore sets the stage for an increasingly intense contest over the composition of the 2027 Kenya Kwanza ticket.
With the election still months away, however, the final decision on the running mate will remain a political calculation involving Ruto’s coalition partners, regional interests and the balance of power within the governing alliance.
