NAIROBI,Kenya Oct 28 – Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has received 43 per cent support in a survey asking Kenyans who they would like President William Ruto to pick as his running mate in the 2027 General Election.
The survey by Swiss Poll International places Deputy President Kithure Kindiki second with 30 per cent, followed by Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga at 13 per cent.
Former Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya garnered six per cent, while Mining and Blue Economy Cabinet Secretary Hassan Ali Joho received four per cent. Other candidates accounted for the remaining four per cent.
The findings were contained in a national opinion poll released on October 28, 2026, covering political party support, presidential preferences and public perceptions of the country’s direction ahead of the next General Election.
Swiss Poll International said the survey was conducted between October 19 and 22, 2026, using a representative sample of 6,146 respondents drawn from all eight regions of Kenya. The poll has a reported margin of error of plus or minus 1.8 percentage points at a 95 per cent confidence level.
The survey did not indicate the sample size or margin of error specific to the running-mate question.
Ruto leads presidential preference
In the presidential preference question, Ruto received 40.2 per cent support, ahead of Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, who garnered 19.7 per cent.
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna followed with 17.6 per cent, while former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua received 7.5 per cent.
Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i garnered six per cent, while Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro received 4.5 per cent. Undecided respondents accounted for 3.3 per cent, with other candidates receiving 1.2 per cent.
The findings show a divided field among the candidates listed against Ruto, with Kalonzo, Sifuna, Gachagua, Matiang’i and Nyoro collectively accounting for a substantial share of the reported preferences.
At the party level, the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) recorded 36.1 per cent support nationally, followed by LMM at 16.1 per cent. The survey reported that 12 per cent of respondents were undecided on their preferred political party.
Cost of living dominates public concerns
The poll also found that 45 per cent of respondents believed Kenya was headed in the wrong direction, compared with 42 per cent who said the country was moving in the right direction. Another 13 per cent were unsure.
The high cost of living was identified as the leading concern among respondents expressing dissatisfaction with the country’s direction, followed by unemployment, corruption, poor governance, healthcare challenges, education and insecurity.
Those who viewed the country as being on the right track cited economic projects, infrastructure development, education reforms, healthcare, agriculture and devolution.
The findings point to a mixed public assessment of the country’s direction, with the share of respondents expressing dissatisfaction exceeding those who were optimistic by three percentage points.
Regional differences in political support
Swiss Poll International said the results reinforced the regional nature of Kenyan politics, with party and presidential preferences varying across the country.
According to the survey, UDA and Ruto recorded their strongest support in the Rift Valley and North Eastern regions. LMM and Sifuna performed strongly in Western and Nairobi, while Wiper and Kalonzo were strongest in Eastern.
The poll identified Central as a key support base for DCP and Gachagua, while ODM remained competitive in Nyanza, Coast and parts of Western.
The research firm said undecided voters remained an important category, particularly in Nyanza, Coast, North Eastern and Western.
