President William Ruto (right), Deputy President Prof Kindiki Kithure and Housing Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome during a meeting with grassroots leaders from Murang'a County at State House, Nairobi on September 12, 2025..
Deputy President Prof Kithure Kindiki appears to have become the quiet power behind President William Ruto’s steadying hand, marking a sharp departure from the style of his predecessor, Rigathi Gachagua.
Where Mr Gachagua often appeared combative and occasionally “divisive,” Prof Kindiki is emerging as a polished communicator, winning President Ruto’s confidence in shaping government messaging.
Analysts say that Prof Kindiki’s ability to articulate policy clearly—without stoking controversy—has filled a vacuum that plagued the early days of Dr Ruto’s administration.
From security operations to economic reforms, his calm delivery has contrasted with Mr Gachagua’s sometimes off-script remarks that drew unwanted public debate.
President Ruto has not shied from acknowledging this shift, publicly praising his deputy’s sharpness and grasp of detail.
“For a President keen to rebrand his government’s public image, Prof Kindiki’s style offers the balance needed to project authority while maintaining credibility,” argues political analyst Dismas Mokua.
Behind closed doors, insiders reveal that Prof Kindiki’s input in Cabinet meetings and high-level discussions is often more structured and persuasive, enabling Dr Ruto to navigate tricky political terrain with fewer public missteps.
His academic grounding as a constitutional lawyer has also proven useful in framing government positions with legal and political sensitivity.
Speaking to young people and musicians from Embu at Irunduni in Tharaka Nithi, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki asked the youth to avoid violence as they push for a better country.
While Mr Gachagua’s tenure was marked by controversy and frequent political fire-fights, including the controversial “government of shareholders,” that formed the basis for his impeachment in October last year, Prof Kindiki’s rise signals a redefinition of the Deputy President’s office—as a stabiliser, not a disruptor, according to the Head of State.
Education giant
For Ruto, this shift is more than just style; it is a strategy that may determine how effectively his government communicates in the years ahead.
President Ruto has never hidden his admiration for Prof Kindiki.
Over the past year, the Head of State has repeatedly praised his second-in-command as a trusted ally, an eloquent defender of the Kenya Kwanza government, and a highly educated partner capable of articulating policy with depth and clarity.
On Saturday, September 13, when he hosted more than 10,000 teachers at State House, Nairobi, the President went further—mocking his former deputy, Mr Gachagua, as a man who failed in his duties.
Dr Ruto contrasted Mr Gachagua’s performance with that of Prof Kindiki, describing the law professor as “an education giant” who had become indispensable in driving his government’s agenda.
“Nilikua na mwingine analalamika, hajasoma, hahaha, nikaona ataniangusha,” Ruto told the crowd, recalling Gachagua’s past complaints.
Turning to his current deputy, the President added: “Huyu naibu wangu mnamwona aje ni noma si noma, ni fire si fire. Unajua ukitaka kufaulu unatafuta deputy amesoma kuliko wewe.”
President William Ruto (centre), Deputy President Kithure Kindiki (right), and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga during a Joint Parliamentary Group Meeting at the KCB Leadership Centre on August 18, 2025.
The remarks underscored a reality that has been unfolding for months: Kindiki, who only assumed the deputy presidency last November after a dramatic impeachment of his predecessor, has quickly cemented his place as Dr Ruto’s most trusted partner, often taking charge of State functions and articulating flagship projects in ways that reassure both Parliament and the public.
His rise to the second-highest office in the land is itself remarkable.
A seasoned law professor, he first emerged as a key figure in Ruto’s political orbit during the International Criminal Court (ICC) trials more than a decade ago, when he served as part of the legal team defending Ruto.
He later built his political career as Tharaka-Nithi Senator before being named Interior Cabinet Secretary in 2022.
His reassignment as Deputy President in late 2024 marked a dramatic shift in Ruto’s political calculus, signalling the President’s loss of patience with Gachagua and a preference for a steadier hand at the helm.
At Kindiki’s swearing-in last November, Dr Ruto openly admitted he needed his deputy’s intellect and eloquence to help “profile the government’s projects” and give voice to Kenya Kwanza’s achievements.
Lonely voice
“I have almost become a lonely voice in the executive, especially in the presidency, speaking about our projects and programmes. You are eloquent, my brother. You are intelligent, my brother. I am confident that you will do that which I have missed for the last two years,” Ruto said at the time.
Since then, Prof Kindiki has presided over a string of high-profile State events, often standing in for the President or reinforcing key policy messages.
President William Ruto, Deputy President Prof. Kithure Kindiki, KNUT Chairman Patrick Karinga (right) and KUPPET Chairman Omboko Milemba during a meeting with over 10,000 teachers at State House, Nairobi.
In the most recent functions, his presence has become symbolic of the administration’s renewed push for discipline, order, and delivery.
On Friday, September 19, Prof Kindiki engaged with 6,500 Community Health Promoters (CHPs) and other Grassroots Primary Healthcare Stakeholders from Meru County at his Irunduni Home, Tharaka Nithi County.
At State House, Nairobi, President Ruto was also launching the SHA sponsorship to the vulnerable that he noted furthers his administration’s “mission to making our healthcare universal.”
“We made an irrevocable commitment to deliver Universal Health Coverage for all Kenyans, regardless of their economic status. Today, we have taken another significant step in fulfilling that pledge. Through the new SHA Sponsorship Programme, more than 2.2 million vulnerable Kenyans will now access medical care free of charge.
Vulnerable citizens
“We will continue identifying and bringing more of our most vulnerable citizens into this fold, ensuring they benefit from a healthcare system that is robust, responsive, and truly equitable,” the president said.
The launch today by President William Ruto of the programme in which the government will start paying premiums for the health insurance of 1.5 million vulnerable Kenyans is historic and momentous to say the least.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki (second left) and National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula (second right) arrive at Tarbaj, Wajir County, for an Economic Empowerment Programme on August 24, 2025.
Prof Kindiki described the launch as “historic and momentous to say the least.”
“One step at a time, Taifa Care, Kenya’s boldest health insurance programme ever, is firming up. The numbers look good. 26.4 million citizens enrolled already, with targets for 30 million by December, 45 million by the end of 2026 and 55 million by the end of 2027 clearly achievable,” said the DP.
He pointed out that their focus “is now on fine-tuning the auxiliary infrastructure, including medical equipment, healthcare human resources and steady availability of drugs and medical commodities across all health facilities.”
“The Community Health Promoters are the engine of Taifa Care’s success. They are mobilising enrollment and carrying out home-to-home visits to promote healthy lifestyles across the length and breadth of our nation.”
“Prof Kindiki not only represented the President but also communicated government policy in clear, accessible terms—something President Ruto has openly acknowledged was lacking under his former deputy,” says Nyando MP Jared Okello.
In a recent interview with Nation, ODM leader Raila Odinga also contrasted Mr Gachagua’s leadership style with that of incumbent Prof Kindiki, describing the latter as “more intellectual, amenable, and less ethnic.”
Prof Kindiki’s assertiveness in Meru and Tharaka Nithi counties on Friday, where he hosted huge delegations, is part of a broader strategy to consolidate Dr Ruto’s support in the Mt Kenya region, where discontent has been growing.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki speaking during a women’s empowerment event at Moi Kabartonjo Primary School in Baringo County on August 3, 2025.
He has positioned himself as the President’s loyal defender, countering narratives that the region is being sidelined.
“I cannot be a Deputy President and here in Meru, the President has no support,” Kindiki declared. “I will do everything possible to make sure he is respected and supported because we have seen what he has done and what he will do.”
Analysts say such messaging is vital for Dr Ruto, whose alliance with Mr Odinga has unsettled traditional bases.
By entrusting Prof Kindiki with key assignments in the mountain, the President is signalling that his deputy is not just a ceremonial figure but a political anchor.
Analysts say Ruto’s trust in Kindiki stems from his ability to balance political rhetoric with technical policy detail.
On Friday, the DP called on Mt Kenya residents not to be duped into abandoning the government for clueless politicians with no development agenda.
In an apparent swipe at Mr Gachagua, Prof Kindiki said some leaders, who have occupied powerful positions before, have become busy bodies moving around the region, urging people not to support the government, terming such retrogressive and political miscalculation.
“When they were in power, they never bothered to push for any development for the people in the region. After losing their seats, they are lecturing us and telling us to abandon government for uncertainty and the unknown. We cannot and we will not allow that to happen,” DP stated.
He spoke during the South Imenti Constituency Economic Empowerment Engagement at Nkubu Stadium, Nkubu town, Meru County.
Prof Kindiki said the region, including Meru County, has immensely benefited from development projects rolled out by the Kenya Kwanza Administration, assuring that many more are in the pipeline.
Among them is the upgrading of Meru Referral Hospital to Level 6, hence accessibility to better health services for the locals, construction of the Gakoromone modern market in Meru town at a cost of Sh800 million, making it the largest in the country and redesigning of Nithi bridge for Sh8 billion.
The government, he noted, has also completed Nkubu-Uruku Road that had stalled for years.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki greets residents at Onger in Nyatike Constituency, Migori County on July 26, 2025.
Others are the elevation of Mitunguu National Polytechnic and the planned construction of Mitunguu Airport in South Imenti.
“We are not supporting the President just for the sake of it, we have seen what he has done and what he has planned for the region, that is why we are saying he should serve for two terms,” DP emphasised.
Prof Kindiki said the government is prioritising the commencement and completion of Nithi Bridge in order to avert deaths linked to its poor design.
“The previous governments didn’t fund the redesigning of Nithi Bridge, and no one threatened them with one term. But now, President Ruto has allocated Sh8 billion for its construction, and some are telling us to vote him out. It’s not possible. The President will serve for two terms,” DP declared.
