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TIFA: Kindiki most preferred to be President Ruto's running mate
President William Ruto and Deputy President Prof Kithure Kindiki arrive for the launch of the NYOTA Business Capital Support for young businesspeople at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, Nairobi on January 19, 2026.
If President William Ruto was looking for yet another reason to retain Prof Kithure Kindiki as his principal team member at the next polls, then Trends and Insights for Africa (TIFA) has one for him.
An opinion poll by TIFA released on Thursday shows that Prof Kindiki enjoys overwhelming support, polling 59 percent, far ahead of his closest challenger, Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga, who trails at a distant 12 percent.
ODM leader Dr Oburu Oginga garnered a mere three percent, while Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho received just one percent of support.
Prof Kindiki, however, faces the significant task of consolidating the Mount Kenya vote, although he appears to enjoy strong backing from his Mount Kenya East base, which accounts for more than 1.3 million votes.
ODM has been pushing for the deputy president’s position in what is expected to be intense negotiations with the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) as the two parties seek to forge a formidable political pact ahead of the 2027 elections.
On February 12, Dr Oginga made a U-turn and said the party was interested in the DP post.
This was contrasted with a statement he made in Kisumu on February 2, 2026, when he told Prof Kindiki that ODM is only interested in holding dialogue with President William Ruto's regime, saying that the talks will not seek to oust him, but to advance the party's agendas.
"The Deputy President's seat is the one we are targeting the most. What I said was that we have no personal animosity towards the Deputy President, but his seat is a public seat," he said.
“If we have to go for a lower position, it must not be lower than number two (deputy president) in any formation. That is my take. We should not take less than that,” added Dr Oginga.
ODM party leader Oburu Odinga addresses journalists during a press conference by the party’s committee at the Swiss-Belinn Hotel in Nairobi on April 16, 2026.
Leaders from the Mount Kenya East region, however, answered him and warned ODM against pursuing the deputy president’s seat. Led by Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku, the leaders insisted that the position is politically and historically anchored in the Mount Kenya region and is therefore not open for negotiation.
“Let me announce here, at the heart of the mountain, that Professor Kithure Kindiki is the Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya, and he will remain the deputy from 2027 to 2032,” Mr Ruku said during a church service in Central Kenya on Sunday.
“Those seeking elective seats are free to do so, but they should not set their sights on the offices of the President and the Deputy President,” he added.
On February 18, the fight continued when ODM politicians from the Coast region, led by Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir, publicly declared that Mr Joho was capable of serving as President Ruto’s running mate.
“Isn’t Hassan Ali Joho capable of being Deputy President? Isn’t someone from Likoni capable of being Deputy President?” Mr Nassir posed during a political rally in Kwale.
Within the Cabinet, Prof Kindiki has earned the respect of many Cabinet Secretaries, particularly for his leadership in Cabinet committee meetings, which serve as critical forums for refining government policy and ensuring smooth Cabinet sessions chaired by the President.
When Prof Kindiki marked one year in office in October last year, a majority of Members of Parliament said they had made the right decision in approving his appointment, citing his role in promoting national unity.
The lawmakers said Prof Kindiki has projected the image of a national leader who listens to all Kenyans regardless of their background and is helping steer the country away from what they described as the retrogressive, narrow, sectarian and ethnic-based politics associated with his predecessor.
Belgut MP Nelson Koech said Prof Kindiki has restored the Office of the Deputy President to its proper role as the President’s principal assistant, unlike his predecessor, whom he accused of attempting to turn the office into an alternative center of power.
“There is no doubt in the mind of any right-thinking Kenyan that in Prof Kindiki, the country has a far better and more competent Deputy President than his predecessor could ever aspire to be. This is undoubtedly linked to the political and professional experience of the incumbent Deputy President, who is a full professor and has served as Senate Majority Leader and Deputy Speaker, building consensus and rallying leaders toward common goals,” Mr Koech said.
Laikipia East MP Mwangi Kiunjuri said that since Prof Kindiki assumed office, he has played a key role in stabilizing the government and effectively communicating official positions on national issues.
“We have not witnessed the internal wrangles that were previously common. I have also not heard any Cabinet Secretaries or civil servants complaining about him. He is calm, consults widely, including with MPs across the political divide, before making decisions, and he has met our expectations as Members of Parliament,” Mr Kiunjuri said.
